


Kizuna (絆) [KHR Prequel]

by arxanna



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Action, Adventure, Blood and Violence, Canon Character - Freeform, Character Death, Family, Friendship, Gen, Italian Mafia, Original Character(s), Prequel, Slice of Life, Trauma, Yakuza
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-22 14:57:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 66
Words: 141,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22651801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arxanna/pseuds/arxanna
Summary: "He is here for reason. He exists to bring everyone together. That is the role of a sky, am I right?"He lost his mother after he was born. He grew up with his father, the only parent he had. He was different from any other children because of his appearance. He did not mind at all. He just wanted to live like a normal human.He did not know that the Sawada family have a secret. All he knew that his life was about to change when he saw the orange flame at his forehead.His name was Sawada Ietsuna. Great-grandson of Vongola Primo, Sawada Iemitsu's father and Sawada Tsunayoshi's grandfather.Arc 1: A Hope was Born (1: 1st July - 9: Spring)Arc 2: Awakening (10: Care - 33: Graduation)Arc 3: Yakuza Conflict (34: Meeting - 65: Reconnect)Arc 4: Restoration of the Vongola (66: Resemblance - ??)Arc 5: (coming soon)[Revised Chapters (30/12/2020): Chapter 1, 2, 3, 15, 19, 26, 31, 36 and 41.]*KHR belongs to Amano Akira.*Pictures are not mine unless stated
Comments: 1
Kudos: 32





	1. 1st July

The war had recently started and almost all the countries were involved including the land of the rising sun. Some villagers suffered due to the war, causing them to live in poverty. They could not stay at the place where they used to live.

The train station was nearly crowded with people as they were being told to evacuate to another district. A certain dark brown-haired man was seen talking on a public phone. His facial expression showed that he was worried and he looked like he had not been getting enough sleep for days.

"Katsuya? Is everything alright?"

He spoke as he was frowning. His father was found missing after the earthquake hit their hometown. He restlessly went everywhere to get the news about his father but there was no news of him. He hated to believe that his father might have died when the tragedy happened. 

_**"Give up already, Shin. You know your father's health is deteriorating lately. Maybe it's for the best than you see him die in front of your eyes."** _

He clenched his fists tightly when he remembered the sentences said by one of his so-called neighbours. They were not helping him. All they could do was to sympathise him for losing his father. 

Shin, or known as Sawada Yoshinobu knew that something bad would happen at his hometown. His father could feel it too since both of them had special blood that ran through their veins. 

The blood that they inherited from Sawada Ieyasu. 

He and his father, Yoshimune had managed to pack some important things before they leave their hometown. Halfway their journey, his father mentioned that he wanted to go back to retrieve something important. Ignoring his son's words, Yoshimune left him and that was the last thing Yoshinobu had seen his father. 

_"Sorry, Shin. Things went mad at my house but it's fine for now."_

The caller named Katsuya replied his answer. He was Yoshinobu's closest friend and they first met during their high school years. 

"I am hoping that everything is fine for you. I know about your family problems more than anyone else."

_"I'm fine now. I just don't want you to get involved with my family affair. You should know that."_

"I understand. Is there any news about my missing father?"

_"Shin, it's been two years after the earthquake and you still not convinced that he's-"_

"Katsuya, I firmly believe that my father is still alive," Yoshinobu interrupted with his stern tone. "Not until I see his body."

_"You are as stubborn as ever. Fine, I'll try to look for any clues about your missing father. Where are you? It's noisy out there."_

"I'm at the train station. I'm bringing Reiko to the hospital."

_"Hospital? Is she going to give birth??"_

"I...I don't know."

Yoshinobu's face grew confused as he gripped his hair tightly. Thinking of his wife's condition made him more frustrated. He started to hate his own life. 

_"What do you mean?"_

"Reiko suffered an unknown illness and the doctors already advised her not to get pregnant. But she wanted to have a baby. It's her ninth month but she is getting weaker. If I knew it, I should have told her not to risk her life."

_"Stop blaming yourself. Reiko did it to prove that she loves you."_

"How does it prove that she loves me? Why she has to risk her life like that??"

_"Listen to me, Shin. There is always a reason why Reiko would do it. If you want to know it badly, why don't you ask her?"_

"Ask...her?"

_"Are you way too afraid to ask her? Afraid that you might hurt her feelings?"_

"I...I just don't want to lose her. I've gone nuts when I can't even find my father, let alone Reiko."

_"You will not lose her, Shin. She will not let you live alone."_

"Katsuya..."

_"I'm a married man too, so I know how does it feel to love someone."_

Before Yoshinobu could continue to talk, the train conductor had announced the next train arrival and the passengers were ready to board the train. 

"I need to leave now. I'll call you again next time."

_"Alright. I'll try my best to find your father. For now, spend all your time with your wife. She needs your support when she's about to give birth."_

"Thank you so much, Katsuya." 

He ended the call and he quickly went to the bench to wake his wife up. Reiko's long black hair was tied in a loose bun and her face was quite pale. He gave a small smile to her and he gently helped her to stand up. 

"The train is coming, Reiko. Let us go and get a good place to sit."

"Shin..." she said weakly. "Any news from your father?"

"No news but Katsuya is doing his best to find him. Worry not, I'm sure that my father would not give up easily."

"But...it's been two years. I...I don't want to see your sad face..." 

He laughed lightly and he touched her hair softly. 

"He is the only family member I have, Reiko. Even if he died, I want to give him a proper place to rest in peace. I do not want him to rest at the place where it was destroyed by the earthquake."

"Shin..."

"If I have the chance, I will find my grandfather's cremation urn and bury it in a better place." 

The train had arrived and the passengers did not hesitate further to board the train. Yoshinobu was making sure that no one would push his wife while boarding and he was looking for a comfortable place for her to sit. He took off his trench coat to keep her warm during the long journey. 

He was staring at the window and he was in his deep thought.

"Grandfather, if I ever disappoint you...I'm sorry. I'm...truly sorry."

* * *

Yoshinobu was looking at his watch. After that, his eyes were looking at the calendar on the doctor's table. 

It was on the first of July, 1936.

It was the day Reiko gave her last breath after giving birth to a healthy baby boy. She spent her last few minutes to tell him everything he should know before she left. 

**_"The doctor once told me...that I don't have much time to live. I...I dreaded to think that...you will live all on your own...after I left. So...I had decided...to give you something...a gift from me. With this gift...you will know...that I'll always by your side..."_ **

He covered his tired face with his hands and he sobbed quietly. The last time he ever cried was when he was a little boy. He did not care if anyone would laugh at a man who shed a tear. 

He cried because he had lost his wife. He was bound to lose his missing father too. He began to lose hope-

"Mr Sawada Yoshinobu?"

The doctor came in and he was calling out for him. Yoshinobu quickly wiped off the tears from his eyes and he forced himself to smile at the doctor.

"Yes, it is me."

"I deeply apologised for the loss of your wife, Mr Sawada. I did once told her that she only had a little time left to live due to an unknown illness she had suffered. When she said that she wanted to get pregnant, I was in shock. It could have been worse but she insisted to do it."

"It is her decision, doctor," Yoshinobu sighed sadly. "Come to think of it, I would have done the same thing for someone I love. She...she did not want me to be alone."

"You have a wonderful, loving wife, Mr Sawada. She did well in her last battle."

"Yes, she truly did well."

"By the way, the baby is now in a stable condition. Would you like to carry him so that you could talk with him?"

He was half nervous, half hesitant. He realised that he had become a father and the responsibility he would be carrying. Once he nodded his head, the doctor smiled before leaving the room. Moments later, the nurse came out as she carefully brought the newborn baby to his arms. 

Yoshinobu was staring at his newborn son and he could not stop smiling. A few strands of little hair on the baby's head was golden-yellow and the eyes were half-open. He could not tell if the baby's eyes were like either of his parents but it did not matter. 

What mattered the most was that the baby was in a safe condition. He lowered his head to give a small peck on the baby's forehead.

"Welcome to the real world, Sawada Ietsuna."

Upon hearing his father's words, the baby's lips curved into a warm smile. Yoshinobu was blinking his eyes several times. 

That warm smile was strangely similar to his grandfather's smile.

"Shin!!"

He flinched and he quickly turned around. He heard the familiar voice and he saw a man in his fifties waving at him. 

"F...father? Is that...you?"

Yoshimune was grinning and he was accompanied by another man who was about Yoshinobu's age. Katsuya was guiding the older man to walk towards Yoshinobu, much to his curiosity.

"Katsuya, what happened-"

"Long story but your father will explain everything. Get yourselves a seat while I'm away to get some drinks."

After Katsuya left, both Yoshimune and Yoshinobu sat at the nearest bench. The older man took most of his time explaining his situation after he went missing for two years. 

"It may seem selfish but I can't just leave my father's cremation urn at the house. I went back to retrieve it and the earthquake had happened. I was buried under the huge pile of debris and it took me some time to get out of there. No one was around. For many days, I see no one coming to the place where the earthquake happened. Leaving me no choice, I walked to the nearest town where I could ask for help."

"Then...did father find someone to ask for help?"

"I did...and I realised that I bumped onto the mafia members."

"M-mafia?" Yoshinobu's face went pale. "Where did they come from?"

"They're Italians. I could understand what they said but I would not dare to speak in their language for I fear that they might know who am I," Yoshimune explained. "They thought I'm one of the drug dealers and they wanted to take me back to Italy for their illegal business. I've been in their captive for two years and I have been tortured, causing my left eye to go blind. I thought I was about to die, so I was muttering to my father, wishing that I would not want to die in the mafia hands."

"Then...what happened?"

"A group of yakuza barge into their place and they were fighting against each other. Katsuya came in and he saw me. He immediately knew who I was and he quickly brought me to his house. I soon recovered but since I feared that the mafia might look for me, I asked for his protection and he kindly let me stay in his house."

"Katsuya..." Yoshinobu let out a relieved sigh. He could not stop himself to smile happily. "He's such a...big help. I'm going to owe him that much..."

"You can thank him later, Shin," the older man smiled and he glanced to look at the newborn baby. "Is that your son?"

"Y-yes, his name is Ietsuna. Sadly, he's going to grow up without his mother's love."

"Wait, Reiko died? H-how?"

"She died after giving birth. Even is she did not get pregnant, she would still die due to her illness. She left this gift for me so that I would not be alone."

"...I see."

Yoshinobu noticed his father's disappointed look and he did not want to see him crying after losing his daughter-in-law.

"Father, guess what? Ietsuna's smile is the same as grandfather's smile."

"For real??"

Yoshinobu nodded and he brought the baby to his father's arms. Yoshimune was looking at the baby closely and he soon noticed the baby's resemblance to Sawada Ieyasu. 

"I have never thought that I would see my father again. Perhaps he's coming back to bring everyone together."

"What does that mean?"

"You'll know someday. Shin, if one day I die, I want you to do something for me."

"What is it, father?"

"No matter what happens, you must protect Sawada Ietsuna."


	2. moving

Yoshinobu was planning to move to another district as soon as possible as the great world war was approaching and the situation in Japan was not getting better. He and his father were staying at the motel for temporary because he needed to frequently return to the hospital for his newborn son's checkup. 

It was already late night and he was still carrying his son in his arms. He admitted that he was a little overprotective and Yoshimune was amused. 

"Shin, go and get some rest. There's no need to always keep an eye on your son."

"I...I'm fine, father. I just want to see if Ietsuna needs something-"

"Your son will cry if he needs something," Yoshimune shook his head lightly. "Just put him to bed and let him sleep peacefully."

"On the bed? What if he fell-"

"Fine. I'll get that large basket for him to sleep."

"Wait, I'll get it-"

"Shin, I'm half blind, not fully blind. Now you sit down and I'll prepare a bed for Ietsuna."  
  
The older Sawada stood and he picked up the large basket before placing a pillow and a small-sized blanket in it. Once he was done, he brought the baby from Yoshinobu's arms and carefully putting him to sleep. The baby giggled softly as he felt ticklish when Yoshimune covered his small body with the blanket. 

"I remember when my father was alive, he would hum and cradle you to sleep," said Yoshimune while he was staring at the sleepy baby. "I could not believe that he was a good singer especially when he sang some Italian songs." 

"I agree," Yoshinobu answered and he laughed a little. "Even at his old age, many young women were highly admiring him. Some girls at my high school were busy asking me if I was truly his grandson."

"You think you are the only one?" Yoshimune rolled his eyes. "Some even asked me if he's still single."

Yoshinobu chuckled at his father's comment and they both went quiet. He was staring at the window and he could see the dark sky that was covered with heavy smokes. 

"If only he could stay a little longer so that he could meet Ietsuna. He left before the world war started. Why would he leave Italy in the first place?"

"Simple," Yoshimune answered. "He wants to start a new life. That's all."

"No, not that," Yoshinobu said quickly. "I mean, why would he leave something important behind? Didn't he treasured it the most?"

"Listen here, Shin. Something he left behind was indeed his most valuable treasure in his life. As now it has been destroyed, why would he want it back?"

The older Sawada took out a gold pocket watch from his pocket and he was looking at it with a sad smile. 

"I am sure that it was the most difficult decision he ever made during that time. I could remember the sad look from his eyes when he told me a story about the clam, sea and rainbow. But right now, he's a happy man with a new family."

He placed the pocket watch back into his pocket and he looked at Yoshinobu. 

"So, have you decided which place we are about to live?"

"Any place as long as it is far away from the war area," Yoshinobu took out a map. "Katsuya told me to move to his hometown and he had found a shelter for us to stay. By the way, he also had found grandfather's cremation urn at the town where you got caught by the mafias."

"He did??" the older's eyes brightened. "Is it in good condition?"

"Yes, it's still in good condition. He kept it at the shrine for temporary until we arrived at his hometown."

"And...the mafia?"

"Oh, Katsuya told me that they are just lower rank mafia members who came to Japan for small black market business. They didn't know anything about us."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. Not everyone knows about grandfather."

Yoshimune sighed with relief. The only thing he could do for his father was to keep their true identity a secret from anyone. Especially from the mafia members. 

"How long are we going to stay here, Shin?"

"Just another two more weeks. Ietsuna needs to get another vaccination before he is ready to leave the hospital. Also, I need to get Reiko's cremation urn from the shrine."

"You're going to bury her urn in a new place? What about her family?"

"Reiko's family died two years after we got married. The only family member she had was her older sister. She's at overseas and currently studying to be a doctor."

"Is that so?"

"Father, did you know that her older sister disapproved our marriage?"

"Is it because she knew that you were once a delinquent in high school?"

"I'm the most messed up Sawada in the family," Yoshinobu laughed sadly. "I bet grandfather is pretty disappointed at me but I've changed after I met Reiko. She was the reason I gave myself a chance to change. It's worth it because I did not want Ietsuna to follow my path."

He walked towards the large basket and he was looking at his sleepy son. He gently touched the baby's forehead and he gave a small smile. 

"I lost hope when Reiko left me alone. The moment I cradled Ietsuna in my arms, you returned safely. That is where I started to believe in a miracle."

Yoshimune's eyes softened when he saw his son had grown up as a responsible person. He placed his hand on his son's shoulder and he nodded with approval.

"You will be a good father, Shin. Your grandfather is proud of you."

"...thank you."

* * *

The Sawada family were on their way to the new place they would stay. Namimori, Katsuya's hometown was one of the furthest places away from the war area and he was currently waiting for their arrival at the train station. He was a tall man with a short lighter black hair, matching his dark grey eyes and he was seen wearing a formal dark blue kinagashi. 

The train conductor blew his whistle to announce the train's arrival and Katsuya stood up to look for Yoshinobu. The passengers were walking out from the train and Yoshinobu was guiding his father while carrying Ietsuna in his arms. Katsuya quickly went to them and helped them carry some things they brought along. 

"Good afternoon," Katsuya greeted them. "Have a rough journey today?"

"Good afternoon. At least better than taking a train to the hospital," Yoshinobu answered.

"I'm glad to hear that," the other smiled and he turned to look at Yoshimune. "Are you alright, uncle?"

"I'm perfectly fine, Katsuya," the older Sawada replied. "Thank you so much for saving my life. I would have been dead if it is not because of you. I'm truly sorry for the trouble I've caused."

"Oh, don't be. Shin was worried sick when he could not find you, so I decided to help him," Katsuya gave a small smirk. "Let me tell you a secret, uncle. Shin was crying when he was sleeping. He kept on calling out for you-"

"Shut up, Katsuya," Yoshinobu was glaring at him. 

"Well, I'd better stop. And is this your lovely little son?"

"Yes, his name is Ietsuna and he's two months old now."

"Ietsuna? What a nice name," the other smiled and he touched the baby's nose softly. "He's a year younger than my son."

"You have a son, Katsuya?" Yoshimune's eyes blinked with surprise.

"Oh yes, I do have a son. His name is Satoshi."

"Is he at your house?"

"Yes, he's with my wife," Katsuya sighed. "That boy is way too close with his mother and I feel so left out."

"You should spend more time with Satoshi or he will forget about you," Yoshinobu commented. "You are too busy handling your family affairs."

"My wife sternly telling me to celebrate his upcoming birthday, so I shouldn't miss it," Katsuya cleared his throat. "Anyway, let us move, shall we? I'll take all of you to the nearest diner for lunch."

They started to walk as Katsuya briefly told them about his hometown so that they could get used to its environment. Yoshinobu could feel the peace at his new home and he was sure that his son would like it. 

The peacefulness was the same as he stayed with his parents and his grandfather before the war took place in the country. 

Once they had their lunch, Katsuya brought them to a house that was long abandoned by the previous owner. He had made small renovations of that house to make sure that his friend would stay comfortably. 

"Good day, young master Katsuya!"

They turned around and they saw the elderly woman who stayed just beside the abandoned house. Katsuya smiled at her before he replied.

"Good day, Mrs Tanaka. How are you doing?"

"I am doing fine," the elderly woman gave her a friendly smile and her eyes were directed at Yoshinobu. "Oh, is that...Shin?"

"Mrs Tanaka?" Yoshinobu raised his eyebrows. "You still remember me?"

"Of course I do! You used to come over to the young master's house when you were in high school. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. I'm moving here with my father and my son," he smiled. "Looks like I'm your new neighbour from now on."

"Glad to hear that. Is that your-"

"Granny! Where are you??"

A five-year-old girl came out from the house and her face was quite horrified. Mrs Tanaka came to her and she was giving her a concerned look. 

"What is the matter, Hanako?"

"T-there's a c-cockroach in...Ha...Hatsuka-chan's room..."

"A cockroach?"

"Yes! That dirty cockroach!"

The elderly woman shook her head, sighing. She then turned to look at the others.

"Please excuse me. I need to deal with some things in my house."

"Oh, it's alright," Katsuya replied. "We'll talk next time."

"Uh," Yoshimune politely interrupted. "Please don't mind me asking but who is this elderly lady?"

"She's my housekeeper. She's been working for many years with my family and later announced her retirement. She's now staying with her grandchildren."

Yoshimune's eyes were fixed at his son's eyes with curiosity. 

"You spent all your summer holidays at his house, right?"

"Uh...yes?"

"Shin? You didn't tell your father that you're coming to my house years ago?"

"My father didn't allow me to go further for holidays, so...I told him that I was away for...camping?"

The older Sawada had the urge to hit his son's head and Katsuya quickly interrupted both of them. 

"It's over, for now, let us walk around the house, alright??"

* * *

Yoshinobu was already tired after his journey to Katsuya's hometown and he had decided to leave other things aside to get it done by the next day. His father was fast asleep in the room and the only thing he needed to do was to set up a small bed for Ietsuna. 

While he was setting up the bed, he slowly remembered his conversation with Katsuya earlier in the evening. 

**_"What are you going to do next, Shin?"_ **

**_"My father is going to help taking care of Ietsuna while I'm away for work. If I could find a permanent job."_ **

**_"But your father is half-blind-"_ **

**_"He insists to help and he told me to find a job. Just for how long? His health is deteriorating and his asthma is getting worse."_ **

**_"Why not finding someone else to take care of your son?"_ **

**_"No, I can't do that. I almost died of a heart attack when I heard that the mafia members had caught my father. I could not risk it."_ **

**_"Are you going to push yourself to the limit?"_ **

**_"What do you think I should do?"_ **

**_"Your newborn son needs extra care and without your wife around, you can't do this alone. Why don't you ask for Mrs Tanaka's help?"_ **

**_"Mrs Tanaka? Are you sure about it?"_ **

**_"She's one of the few people I can trust, Shin. Let her help you until Ietsuna is old enough to take care of himself."_ **

He was taking a long time to decide if he would let the former housekeeper take care of his son. He had trust issues and he had been careful when he met any strangers from his house, his school or everywhere he went. 

Reiko did not want to see him suffer alone. 

He put his tools aside and he went out of his house to talk with Mrs Tanaka. Once she agreed, he would worry no more.


	3. growth

"Hatsuka! Where are you??"

Mrs Tanaka was calling out for her granddaughter while carrying another baby in her arms. She had been walking around her house to look for her until a girl with brown bob hair came running to see her. Hatsuka's dress was partially wet and her curious eyes were looking at the elderly woman.

"What is it, granny?"

"Why are you soaking wet??"

"I'm washing the clothes in the river."

"You what?? I told Hanako to wash the clothes!"

"Big sister says she wants to buy some candy with her friends."

"Ugh, that little..." Mrs Tanaka sighed heavily. "Did you wash all of the clothes?"

"Only a few left, granny."

"Leave it there and bring this baby to the bedroom," she carefully placed the baby at Hatsuka's arms. "The baby's parents will be coming in an hour. I'll go and wash those remaining clothes."

"No, no, granny. I'll do it-"

"I do not want you to risk yourself, Hatsuka. That river is deep and it's dangerous," Mrs Tanaka rolled up her sleeves. "I'm going to lecture to your sister once she returns."

Mrs Tanaka went to the river and Hatsuka walked to the bedroom to put the baby in the cot. She later stood nearby the window to check if her relatives were coming to bring their newborn baby home.

Hatsuka had been staying with her grandmother when she was only one year old. Her parents were working in another district and they hardly had time to take care of her and Hanako, her older sister. She was not used to staying far away from her parents but she grew to love her grandmother's hometown.

"Good morning, Shin! Nice to see you today!"

The girl leaned and she saw a man carrying a small blond child. She quickly went out of the bedroom and peeked at the living hall's wall to see her grandmother talking to the man. 

"You're off to work as usual?"

"No, I'm taking a leave today. I need to go to the hospital to see my father."

"Oh, is he getting better?"

"I was hoping that he would be better but the doctor said I need to be prepared for the worst."

Mrs Tanaka gave her a concerned look to Yoshinobu and she placed her hand on his shoulder. 

"I am so sorry to hear that, Shin. Your father is a strong man. He is not going to give up easily."

Yoshinobu smiled at her and he nodded his head. 

"I agree, Mrs Tanaka. He even survived from the earthquake, so I hope that he could continue living for a few more years." 

"Just don't show your sullen face when you see him," the elderly woman patted his shoulder before her eyes were directed at the sleeping four-year-old blond boy. "How is little Ietsuna?"

"He's asleep. He had been asking me when his grandfather will return home," Yoshinobu snickered as he caressed the boy's hair. "I told him that he's away to look for a hidden treasure at mount Fuji and he would be back soon enough."

"That is adorable," Mrs Tanaka laughed. "You better not be late. I'll take care of him."

The man nodded and he brought the sleeping boy to the elderly woman's arms. He leaned to give a small peck on the boy's forehead before he left the house. Hatsuka came out to see her grandmother and her smile was wide.

"Granny, can I play with Ietsuna?"

"You will need to wait until he wakes up, Hatsuka," she replied and she went into the house. "His father does not want him to know that his grandfather is sick. What a thoughtful parent. He changed a lot after he was married to a lovely young woman."

"Where is his mother? I didn't see her around."

"She is travelling to heaven."

"Oh...I should not have asked-"

"No worries, Hatsuka. She must be happy to see her family living in peace and she will wait until the day they will join her."

"Is she a beautiful woman?"

"Why are you asking as if she is your mother?"

"I want to know so that I can tell it to Ietsuna," the girl grinned. "So, is she beautiful?"

"You treated him like he is your little brother. Of course, she was a beautiful woman and his father was lucky to marry her."

The blond boy's eyes were twitching and he yawned sleepily. He slowly opened his heterochromia eyes and he was looking at Mrs Tanaka.

"G...granny?"

"Good morning, Ietsuna," the elderly woman smiled warmly. "Did you sleep well?"

"Uh, yes," the boy nodded. "I see grandpa, walking at the huge mountain. He takes along a big spoon to dig out a treasure. And, and he meets a man wearing a black shiny cape. He tells grandpa that there is a treasure ahead and he shows the way."

"Really? Did he get the treasure?"

"I don't know. I already waking up before I can see the treasure."

"I think he will find the treasure soon, Ietsuna. How about you play with Hatsuka while I am bringing the baby out to see her parents."

"Alright, granny."

Mrs Tanaka placed the boy down and Hatsuka came to him with her excited look.

"Hey, Ietsuna! Guess what? I found some ladybug behind my house. Want to see?"

"Ladybug?" the boy tilted his head. "What is that?"

"It is a cute little beetle. Let me show you."

She brought him to the back of the house and she knelt near the bushes to look for the ladybug. Ietsuna knelt with her and his eyes widened with amazement as he saw the ladybug.

"This is ladybug??"

"Yes, it is. Cute, right?"

"It's pretty! And it's shiny!" the boy replied with his excited look. "I want to show it to my father!"

Hatsuka was smiling as she was looking at the boy's enthusiasm. She remembered when Yoshinobu first came over to ask for her grandmother's help to take care of his son. Although she needed to take care of her two granddaughters, she was willing to help him looking after Ietsuna. She deeply thought that he was a special child who seemed to bring everyone together.

"I'm home!"

A group of girls went inside the house and they were placing lots of sweets on the table. Hanako, a girl with long black hair was looking for her younger sister and she had found her at the back of the house with the blond boy. Her other two friends were following her from behind and their curious eyes were directed at the blond boy.

"Hey, Hatsuka-chan! Thanks for helping me wash the clothes!" Hanako placed some sweets in her hands. "I give you some sweets as a treat!" 

"Thank you, big sister," Hatsuka replied and she gave some to Ietsuna.

"Hanako-chan, who is that blond boy? Is he your little brother?" one of the girls asked.

"He's not my brother. He's just another random child that my granny needs to take care of."

"Really? What strange eyes he has," the other girl commented. "Even a foreigner doesn't have eyes like that."

"Right??" Hanako grinned. "He doesn't even look like his father. Maybe he's adopted?"

Ietsuna's eyes began to water and he was looking away from anyone. Hatsuka frowned at her sister's remark as she stood up, facing her.

"Big sister! You should not talk about Ietsuna like that!"

"Why couldn't I? Don't you see how he looks like?"

"So what if he has yellow hair and two coloured eyes?" Hatsuka replied with her angry look. "You should treat him kindly."

"I didn't even hit him. I just think he's weird-"

Mrs Tanaka pulled Hanako's ear before she could finish her sentences. She squeaked with pain and her other two friends flinched, taking a few steps behind from them.

"Ow, ow! Granny! What's that for???"

"I told you to wash the clothes and you pass that job to your little sister. Now you are bad-mouthing about Ietsuna's appearance. I am ashamed with your attitude, young lady."

"B-but, granny...it's true! He looks different-"

"Oh, because he is different, he needs to be treated differently?" Mrs Tanaka frowned and she was dragging her back to the kitchen. "You come here and let me teach you a big lesson!"

The two girls were speechless and they too went back to the kitchen, leaving Hatsuka and Ietsuna behind. The girl came to him and he was wiping off the tears from his eyes, sobbing quietly.

"Don't cry, Ietsuna," she gently patted his back. "I am so sorry about my big sister's rude words."

"Is...is it true...that I'm...weird?" he replied sadly. "People look at me because...I'm not like any of them?"

"No, you are wrong," Hatsuka stated firmly and she placed both her hands at his cheeks. "There is nothing wrong having yellow hair and two different eyes. You are a human just like everyone."

"Is that so?"

"Yes," she replied as she smiled. "Besides, I like your eyes. Brown and orange. They are so pretty."

"Really??" Ietsuna's smile grew wider.

"Really!" Hatsuka nodded.

"Thank you so much!" he said happily.

"Alright. Do you want to let your father see the ladybug?"

"Yes!"

"I have a better idea," she clapped both of her hands. "Let me get some colour pencils and blank papers and we will draw some pictures of ladybugs."

"I...I don't know how to draw..."

"I can teach you. Come on, let's go."

* * *

Yoshinobu was in a hospital for quite some time and he estimated that he would return home before late evening. He had been waiting for his father's health report and he was in a room where his father was resting. The older Sawada started to have breathing difficulties when Ietsuna reached the age of four. Yoshinobu did not hesitate further as he sent him to the nearest hospital. 

**_"Your father's name is Sawada Yoshimune?"_ **

**_"Yes."_ **

**_"And you are his son?"_ **

**_"Yes, I'm Sawada Yoshinobu."_ **

**_"Based on the documents you've given me, your father inherited this illness from your grandmother. How serious was her asthma?"_ **

**_"Her asthma was much severe compared to my father. His asthma was in a mild stage and he could do any tough work but after the earthquake, it got worse."_ **

**_"The earthquake happened two years ago. How did you not know about his condition?"_ **

**_"We got separated for two years. It was when my son was born, my friend had found him. He did not even tell me about his asthma until now."_ **

**_"I see."_ **

**_"Doctor, does my father have any chance to survive?"_ **

**_"I have your father's health report here and it seems that he suffered some serious injuries that have worsened his illness. You need to be prepared for the worst, Mr Sawada. The least we could do is to give him some medication to help him ease the illness. The rest of it is up to him."_ **

He was reading the health report and he let out a small sigh. Yoshimune hid his health condition so well that his son did not notice anything about it. The mafia members would have hurt him after they caught him. 

Yoshinobu placed the report on the table and he was looking at his father who had been sleeping for days after he was admitted to the hospital. He hated to lie to Ietsuna. He once told him that his mother was at heaven, watching them from above. 

**_"Father, what is heaven?"_ **

**_"A place where the good people live, Ietsuna. Your mother is watching us from there."_ **

**_"Can I go there to see mother?"_ **

**_"Unfortunately, no."_ **

**_"Why?"_ **

**_"When you are old enough, you will understand one day."_ **

He grasped his father's hands before leaving the room. He stepped out from the hospital and he was on his way to Mrs Tanaka's house to fetch Ietsuna home. As he was few blocks away from the hospital, he could feel some people were following him from behind. 

Their presence was hostile. His intuition would not lie to him. 

He purposely walked in the alley and he stopped, waiting for their response. 

"As expected from the Black Hawk," the deep voice chuckled darkly. "You know that we've been following you."

He recognised the voice. He slowly turned around and he saw a tall burly man with his followers behind him. Yoshinobu once defeated him in the deadly gang fight and he became the strongest fighter in high school. He was given a nickname Black Hawk after that fight. 

"What do you want from me, Ryota?" he was glaring at the burly man. "I thought I'm done with you after that fight."

"Reunion, of course. I heard that you have retired from being a gangster. I wonder why you have stepped down."

"I want to start a new life. Now please leave me alone."

"Huh? Did you say please?" Ryota laughed loudly and his followers were laughing as well. "This is the first time I hear you saying the word please! Admit that you are a coward!"

He clenched his fists with anger. These people would not stop bothering him unless he fought against them.

**_"Yoshinobu, please. Don't do it."_ **

His grandfather's words came across his mind. Ieyasu's distressed eyes were still haunting him and the guilt inside his heart grew heavier. 

He tried to walk away but Ryota was quicker than him. The other grabbed his arm and shoved him on the ground, feeling dissatisfied. 

"I will not leave until I get back something you've taken from me after that fight! Even if I have to kill you!"

Yoshinobu did not say anything. Moments later, a smirk was formed on his lips as he stood, rolling his sleeves up and he shot his deadly glare to Ryota and his followers. 

"You better not regret it."


	4. chance

_" **N** **o, you can't do that! Stop all this madness, Yoshinobu!"** _

_**"What else I can do to help people, grandpa?? Standing there and watch them suffer?? Even the school principal and the teachers can't do anything to stop those jerks from picking up more victims!"** _

_**"Violence will not be the solution to the problem! Once you taste blood, it will be difficult for you to turn back!"** _

_**"If violence is not the solution, then what?! I'm sick of being too kind and forgiving!!"** _

_**"I know you are so frustrated but I don't want you to take that dark path ahead of you. So please, Yoshinobu. You will regret it if you do it."** _

_**"I understand now. I understand why your beloved family has fallen. You are too soft, grandpa."** _

_**"...what?"** _

_**"The family doesn't need a weak and soft-hearted leader like you. That is why your family has fallen."** _

_**"Yoshinobu, how...could you say that?"** _

_**"I'm not like you, grandpa. I will do what I think is the right thing to do. If you are disappointed with me, then consider that you don't have a grandson like me."** _

His argument with his grandfather left a deep scar in his heart. He could not forgive himself for hurting his feelings.

He had achieved his goal but he was never happy. He felt so much pain in his heart and he had been suffering. Yet, he could not give up on what he wanted to do.

What had truly changed him to a kind-hearted Sawada Yoshinobu?

_**"Shin, did you see that lotus flower on that pond? Isn't it beautiful?"** _

A girl named Reiko was pointing her finger at the lotus flower and he was looking at it. She was attending the same high school with Yoshinobu and Katsuya and she was a member of the Literature Club.

She was once harassed by a group of boys at the bus stop and he did save her from them. Hearing that she often waited for the bus to go home, he had been accompanying her almost every day and they slowly grew closer to each other.

_**"Yes, it is. So, what about it?"** _

_**"Do you know how the lotus flower grows?"** _

_**"I have no idea. I don't know anything about flowers."** _

_**"Lotus flower grows in muddy water and rises above the surface to bloom beautifully. Lotus flower also signifies the purity of heart and mind."** _

_**"Sounds great, but what does it have to with me?"** _

_**"The lotus flower is you, Shin."** _

_**"Me?"** _

_**"You are dwelling with the darkness that was born from the feeling of hatred. The muddy water is the darkness that surrounds your heart. If you are willing to give yourself another chance to change who you are, you will bloom on the water surface."** _

_**"You think that I could do that?"** _

_**"I will not question your method of bringing justice to the people who in need. My only question to you is, are you really satisfied with what you have done?"** _

He was silent for a long time and he was frowning. He began to understand why his grandfather left Italy to begin his new life. He took out a pair of brass knuckles and he was staring at it.

It was his weapon that helped him to fight against the gang members. It was also a weapon that eroded his relationship with his grandfather and his father.

He furiously threw the brass knuckles in the pond and he would never want to pick it up. Reiko was only watching and she secretly smiled, knowing that he had made up his mind. The bus arrived and she took her school bag before she stepped inside the bus.

**_"Shin, go home and reconcile with your grandfather. Do it before it is too late."_ **

Even as he was grateful for Reiko's help, it was already too late for him to apologize to his grandfather.

Sawada Ieyasu passed away peacefully in his sleep.

Thinking about his late grandfather made him hate himself even more.

He easily defeated Ryota's followers and he only needed to take down that burly man. Both of them fought ferociously and Yoshinobu was still much stronger than Ryota even without using his weapon he had discarded years ago.

"Stop! Stop!" Ryota shouted and he was in pain after being kicks and punched repeatedly. "I...I give up!"

"Give up?" Yoshinobu furrowed his eyebrows. "You are already giving up?"

"Y-yes...it's truly my mistake for trying to fight with you..." he panted. "You are so strong...that name Black Hawk...indeed suits you the best..."

"...stop calling me that filthy name."

"Huh?"

"I have enough hearing that sickening name," Yoshinobu held out his hand to Ryota. "If you want to give up, then I have no reason to continue beating you up."

"...heh, you are so wrong."

His intuition had triggered his mind but he could not react fast when Ryota stabbed his chest with his hidden knife. His eyes widened with shock and he gasped with pain. He was losing lots of blood and he slowly collapsed on the ground. Ryota was cackling with satisfaction and he gave him a harsh kick at his stomach.

"Now who is the strongest of all?! It's me, the one who had finally defeated the well-known Black Hawk!!"

Yoshinobu's intuition could not stop tingling his mind but he was not able to protect himself as he grew weaker. He could see that Ryota was about to give his final blow when someone else shoved him aside.

His vision began to blur and the last thing he saw was a family crest with a symbol of a bird on it.

* * *

"No...I can't die yet. Ietsuna is still waiting for me. If I die, he will be alone for the rest of his life. He had lost his mother. I can't let him lose his father. I made a word with Reiko that I would continue to live."

"Shin..."

"...father, where are you?"

"Open your eyes and you will know where am I."

He quickly opened his eyes and he found himself sleeping on the bed. He turned his head aside and he saw Yoshimune sitting beside his bed, looked healthier than the day he was admitted to the hospital. 

"Father?" Yoshinobu blinked his eyes confusedly. "You...you are awake? Or...is it just a dream?"

"Oh, I can help you with that."

Yoshimune hit his head so hard that caused his son to screech in pain. 

"Father! What is that for??"

"That is for yelling at your grandfather," he frowned, crossing his arms on his chest. "I have always wanted to do that but he did not allow me to do so. And if I didn't do it, that will be my biggest regret before I die."

"W-what about you? You're keeping your asthma condition from me after Katsuya found you."

"Even if you sent me to see a doctor, my asthma can't be cured," the older Sawada sighed. "Those mafia members were barbaric. They did not hesitate to hurt an old man like me. Maybe they were kind to let me see my father and my wife more quickly."

"F-father! Stop making that kind of joke, will you??"

"Why not? My time is almost over anyway."

"Ietsuna is waiting for you to come home! Can't you at least think about your grandson??"

Yoshimune was looking at his son and a small smile was formed at his lips. He placed his hand on the other's head and he gently ruffled his hair. 

"I am aware of my condition, Shin. I could not stay longer to see Ietsuna grow up to be a man. I only can guide you. You will be the one to stay by his side. You are Sawada Ietsuna's father."

"I-I can't do this. Every time I look at his face, I remembered grandpa's sad look and Reiko's dying look. How could I move on??"

"You could not move on because of your guilt. You need to let it off from your heart."

"I hurt his feelings. I told him that he was a weak leader. That was the most unforgivable thing I have done."

"Shin, your grandfather forgives you. He wanted me to tell you before he died because he knew you could not forgive yourself."

"...did he, forgive me?"

"Yes, he did. Because you are his grandson."

The older Sawada took out the gold pocket watch and he passed it to Yoshinobu. He grew confused once he looked at the pocket watch.

"Why would you pass it to me? Isn't this your treasured gift from grandpa?"

"You can give this to Ietsuna. Tell him that I have found the treasure and I will continue to travel further for more things to look for."

"...father? You are...leaving?"

"I do not want to be late for a tea-break with your grandfather. If you have done your job as a father, you can join us soon."

Yoshimune stood up and he walked out without turning around to see his son. Yoshinobu tried to sit up but he felt a slight pain from his stomach. He felt someone was pushing him to lie on the bed. 

"Where do you think you're going, Shin?"

He blinked his eyes several times and this time, he saw a man wearing a black kinagashi standing at the side of his bed. 

"...Katsuya? You've been here?"

"No, I just come in and you look like you're about to fall. Where you want to go?"

"I...I'm looking for my father. Didn't you see him leaving my room?"

"...Shin, I am here for that reason. Your father already passed away."

He was speechless and he could not think of anything for a moment. He was staring at the ceiling with his hollow look. He felt like he wanted to give up anytime soon. Katsuya hated to see his reaction and he gripped his shoulder to let him know that he was around to accompany him. 

"I'm sorry, Shin. You and your father were reunited for a short time and...this happened. If I tried my best to find your father as soon as possible, you wouldn't have-"

Yoshinobu raised his hand to keep him quiet. He shook his head and he glanced over to look at his good friend. 

"Katsuya, would you please help me out?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"Please tell Mrs Tanaka to let Ietsuna stay at her house for a few days. Stay until I am discharged from the hospital and after I'm done with my father's funeral."

"You're not going to tell Ietsuna about his grandfather?"

"I know what to do. And, thank you so much for saving my life."

"How did you know that it was me who stopped Ryota from killing you off?"

"You are the only one carrying your family crest around."

* * *

"Granny, look! I draw many ladybugs!"

Ietsuna was running in the living hall to look for Mrs Tanaka but he tripped and he fell on the floor with a loud thud. The elderly woman's eyes widened with shock and she quickly came to him to check if he had any injuries.

"Ietsuna, how many times I tell you not to run in the house?" she helped him to stand up. "What if you get hurt?"

"I'm fine here, granny," the blond boy giggled and he seemed not to feel any pain after he fell. "Look, granny. I draw some ladybugs."

"Oh, what a nice drawing," she smiled when she looked at his drawing. "Hatsuka is the one who teaches you how to draw?"

"Yes, she teach me how to draw!" he answered happily. "I want to show it to my father!"

"Ah, yes. Speaking of your father, he wants you to stay in this house for a while until he returns home."

"Huh? Why?"

"He is now helping your grandfather to look for another treasure. He will come home and show you the treasure he had found."

"Really?"

"Yes. Now go and wash your hands. Dinner will be ready soon."

The blond boy nodded and he walked to the bathroom to wash his hands. Hatsuka and Hanako came out from the room and they were standing beside their grandmother with their curious look. 

"Granny, is he going to stay here for a while?" Hatsuka asked. 

"Yes. Just for a few days."

"Why a few days?" 

Mrs Tanaka turned to look at both of them and she held a stern look on her face. 

"I want both of you to keep it secret from Ietsuna. If he knows, I will spank anyone who breaks the secret."

Hatsuka nodded and Hanako gulped nervously, thinking of the punishment. Mrs Tanaka let out a sad sigh before she spoke to them. 

"His grandfather has passed away."


	5. truth

Five months had passed after Sawada Yoshimune's death and the house was quieter without him around. Ietsuna was often staying at Mrs Tanaka's house while his father was away for work. Even his father had told him that his grandfather was away to look for more treasure, Ietsuna had only wished that he would just return home rather than travelling for a long time.

Yoshinobu had been busy with his work that he hardly had time to interact with his son. He hated to do this but to him, it was his only way to avoid any questions from his son about Yoshimune. Mrs Tanaka once advised him that he should tell him the truth. It might be painful to accept the truth but it was better than telling a lie to keep him happy.

"Here are the account statements for the past few weeks, Mr Kurosawa."

Yoshinobu placed the files on his manager's table and he was waiting for him to see through the statements. Kurosawa Shigeru hired him after hearing Katsuya's recommendation and he was impressed with Yoshinobu's counting skills. He secretly admitted that he was often the fastest to complete the account statements with the right amount. 

"Perfect," Kurosawa was done checking and he smiled to Yoshinobu. "Your counting skills are incredible as usual."

"Thank you, Mr Kurosawa. Is there any statement I can do?"

"Oh, about that...Katsuya wants me to give you a few days off. I told him that you have been busy working that you hardly had time for yourself."

"Um, no. I am fine. I don't think I need to rest-"

"I heard that you have a son, right?"

"Yes, he's now four years old and I have my neighbour to take care of him until I return home."

"I understand that being a single parent is hard but don't you think that you should spend more time with your son?"

Yoshinobu was frowning and his eyes were avoiding from his manager's eyes. Kurosawa let out a small sigh and he was looking at him firmly.

"Please forgive me if I have to invade your private matters but I noticed that you often went home late ever since your father's death. Are you keeping something away from your son's knowledge?"

"...I just...I just do not want him to feel sad after his grandfather passed away. He already lost his mother after he was born."

"So you lied to him that both of them were off to another place?"

"What other choices I have?"

"There are choices you can make, Mr Sawada. Whatever choice you made, you also must face the consequences. Yes, telling him the truth might hurt his feelings but lying to him is worse than the truth itself."

Kurosawa stood up and he placed his hand on his shoulder, giving a tight grip. 

"I'm giving you at least a five days rest from work because I want you to give yourself a chance to talk to your son. I don't want you to regret it."

"...thank you."

* * *

Winter had arrived and the children were excited as soon as they saw the snow covering the town. Ietsuna was looking at the thick snow from the window and he felt a little gloomy. He used to feel happy when he saw the snow but this time, he felt something was missing.

Hatsuka noticed that he had been standing by the window for quite some time and she went near him to see what had been bothering his mind.

"What's wrong, Ietsuna?"

"When the snow comes, I was happy. I can get to play with grandpa in the snow," he replied and he rested his chin on his hands. "But grandpa is away for too long. Was that treasure way more important than me?"

"N-no, your grandpa would not think that way," Hatsuka said quickly. "He loves you, he would not leave you like that."

"Really?"

"Really. I mean, which parent would not love their child?"

Ietsuna's eyes were looking at Hatsuka and he did not blink for a few seconds. She gulped nervously when she realised that he was looking at her before he turned away.

"I wished my father did not lie to me."

Hatsuka's face went pale when she heard his sentences. She was sure that no one would have told him that his grandfather had passed away months ago.

"Hey, you two!!"

Hanako yelled from outside the house and she was waving at them. Ietsuna and Hatsuka were at the window as they looked at her.

"What is it, big sister?" asked Hatsuka curiously.

"The snow is here! Who wants to build a big snowman with me??"

"Oh, I'm coming!" Hatsuka replied and she turned to look at the blond boy. "Ietsuna, let's build a snowman, shall we?"

"Um, I...I don't feel like playing," said Ietsuna.

"Come on, don't be like that," she touched his hair softly. "Are you still mad at my big sister for saying something bad to you?"

"N-no, I'm not mad at her," he answered quickly. "I just...well..."

"Do you want to let your father see your sad face?"

"...no."

"Then let's have fun, alright?"

Hatsuka took his hand and she brought him out from the house to play with Hanako. Her older sister grinned as she was preparing to make a large snowball.

"We need more stones or pebbles for the snowman's eyes and mouth. Oh, some twigs or branches for the hands," said Hanako.

"I will go look for pebbles and stones," Hatsuka replied.

"Then Ietsuna can go and find some twigs," Hanako added and her younger sister was surprised when she heard it.

"You can't simply tell him to find something hard to find, big sister."

"It's not like I tell him to go out of the house to find some. I'm sure there are a few in the garden."

"But-"

"I will go and get some twigs."

The girls were looking at him and he nodded at them before he went behind the house to look for any twigs. He searched the whole place but he could not find any twigs. He decided to sneak out from the back door to find the twigs.

He was lucky to find a large tree that was just the opposite of Mrs Tanaka's house. He smiled a little and he started to pick up some twigs on the cold ground. Once his arms were full of twigs, he stood up to leave and he bumped into someone, causing him to drop all the twigs.

"I-I'm sorry, sir-"

"Haha, no need to apologize, little one."

Ietsuna blinked his eyes once and he slowly looked up at a white-haired man with round glasses. He was seen wearing a plain green kinagashi and he was smiling at the blond boy.

The smile from that man was suspicious and Ietsuna had a bad feeling about it.

"What are you doing here, little one? Shouldn't you be at home at this hour?"

"I...I want to collect some twigs...to build a snowman."

"I see," the man replied. "What is your name?"

Ietsuna refused to answer the man's question and he shook his head. When the man reached his hand out to touch his head, Ietsuna immediately took a few steps back from him.

"Is there anything wrong?"

"F...father says I should not talk to strangers."

"Your father taught you so well," the man chuckled and he stood up, preparing to leave. "We will meet again one day, little one."

The blond boy grew confused. He was about to ask the man when he heard his father calling out for him. Yoshinobu quickly went to him and a worried look was shown on his face.

"Ietsuna, what are you doing here? I thought you are staying at Mrs Tanaka's house."

The blond boy noticed his father's look and he lowered his head, feeling a little guilty.

"I'm sorry, father. I...I was collecting some twigs to build a snowman with big sister Hatsuka."

"Build a snowman?"

Ietsuna nodded his head and he was gripping at the hem of his shirt.

"I...I want to play with grandpa. When is he going to come home? I...I miss grandpa."

Yoshinobu knew that he could not hide the truth from his son for a longer time. He had always wanted to tell him but he was afraid that he would be devastated.

_**"Telling him the truth might hurt his feelings but lie to him is worse than the truth itself."** _

He let out a sigh and he took off his trench coat, putting it on the ground nearby the large tree. He sat down, carrying Ietsuna and placing him on his lap.

"Father, are we going to sit here?"

"Yes. I want to tell you something important. Would you want to listen, Ietsuna?"

"Yes, I will."

* * *

"Why is he taking a long time to return?"

"You told him to find some twigs, right?"

"But I didn't say that he should go out and look for them!"

"Now what? Granny is going to spank us if she finds out that he's not here."

"D-don't tell granny! Why don't we go out and find him-"

"Mrs Tanaka! I'm back!"

The two girls flinched with shock when they heard Yoshinobu's voice. They face grew pale as they still could not find Ietsuna. Both of them tiptoed slowly and they peeked from far. Hatsuka was the first to let out a relieved sigh as soon she saw Ietsuna at his father's arms. Mrs Tanaka was at the door and the girls were taking their time walking towards their grandmother.

"You're home early, Shin. Is there anything wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing. My manager wants me to take a break from working. I'll be resting for five days before I could work again."

"I see. And why Ietsuna is with you? I thought he is still at my house."

Yoshinobu noticed the girl's nervous look and he gave a small smile before he turned to look at Mrs Tanaka. 

"Ietsuna saw me coming home and he was excited to see me. So he left the house to fetch me."  
  
"He always has been waiting for you to come home, Shin. Since you are early today, why don't you join us for dinner?"

"That would be great," he answered and he placed his son on the ground, ruffling his hair. "Ietsuna, why don't you go in and wash your hands? We are going to have dinner together."

The boy nodded and he went inside the house along with the girls. The other two were watching them and the elderly woman seemed to have something to ask him. 

"Shin, if you don't mind me asking but did Ietsuna cry earlier?"

"How did you know, Mrs Tanaka?"

"His eyes were a little red and swollen. What happened?"

"Well, I told him the truth. The truth about his grandfather."

"Why would you want to do that? Didn't you say that he would be sad if he knew his grandfather died?"

Yoshinobu gave a sad smile to her and he looked up at the gloomy sky. 

"I promised my father that I will be a better father to Ietsuna. I doubted if I could do that. I lied to him that his grandfather was away to look for a treasure. I thought it was fine to lie to a child like him. For how long I could keep this a secret from him?"

He took out the gold pocket watch from his trench coat and he opened it to see a photo of Sawada Ieyasu and his friends. He could see that his grandfather's smile was the same as his son's smile. 

"I made a lot of mistakes in the past. I do not want Ietsuna to follow my path. I do not want to raise him as a liar. I need to fix myself so that he could see my good side. The truth may hurt his feelings but better than continuing to lie to him. I had explained to him most easily so that he could understand that no matter how long he had been waiting, his mother and his grandfather will never return home."

The grey clouds began to disappear and the winter sky was clearer than before. Mrs Tanaka was glancing at him before she asked him again. 

"Since you told him the truth, what did he tell you at the end?"

He looked back at the elderly woman and he smiled warmly. 

"'Thank you for telling me the truth, father.'"


	6. sky

The surrender of the Axis Powers marked the end of World War Two and certain countries were in a state of recovery.

Daniela, the daughter and only child of the seventh Vongola boss was seen dealing with paperwork and she was much relieved that the war was finally over. She took over the Vongola Famiglia when the world war occurred and this had been stressing her up lately.

The real reason? Making any wrong moves during the war would place the Vongola in great danger. 

She heard the door knock but she did not look up to see who was coming in the study room. 

"Come in."

The door was opened and a man in his forties came in with a pleasant smile on his face. He was wearing a simple black suit with a long white coat at his arm. He walked forward and he was standing in front of the desk waiting for Daniela to finish up with her paperwork. 

"Good morning, Vongola Ottavo," the man greeted with respect. "Looks like the world war is finally over."

"Indeed. Even if the war is over, that does not stop me from fulfilling my duty as the mafia boss," she replied as she stacked all the papers and placing them in the desk drawer. "How is my father, doctor Alonzo?"

"He is doing well," the man named Alonzo answered. "If he continues to take his medication daily, I am sure that he will recover from his illness soon enough."

"I am glad to hear that," Daniela sighed. "My old man is pretty stubborn when it comes to his health condition. I understand his strong commitment to the Vongola but it is time for him to get some rest and let me take over his place."

"Vongola Settimo is much concerned about the Vongola when the war happened. He was unsure if you could handle it well since you just only took over his place. After all, the majority of the mafia members could not believe that a woman would be able to lead the most powerful mafia family in the world."

Daniela was glaring at Alonzo and he immediately went silent.

"What are you trying to imply, doctor Alonzo? Am I not good enough to be the Vongola boss?"

"Please forgive me, Vongola Ottavo. I do not have the intention of looking down at you. It was indeed Vongola Settimo's choice to have you as his true successor since you are his only child. The only problem is that the other allied mafia families are doubting about Settimo's choice of picking a woman as the next boss. Even the head of CEDEF thinking the same-"

"So what? Will there be any difference if a woman like me taking over the Vongola? My father had chosen me as his successor and I will prove that I am as capable as the previous Vongola bosses."

Daniela raised her hand and she lit up her Sky Flame from the Vongola ring.

"I will not run away from death."

The doctor was amazed as he saw Daniela's Sky Flame but she knew that his expression was nothing but a farce. Someone else was knocking the door and another woman about Daniela's age came in with some papers in her arms.

"I shall not interrupt your work, Vongola Ottavo. I will return to get some medicine for your father."

Daniela nodded and the doctor walked out from the study room, leaving only her and the other woman who happened to be her Storm Guardian. She had her concerned look on her face when she soon noticed Daniela's troubled face after the doctor left.

"Is there anything wrong, Ottavo?"

"Eva, do you think I'm suitable to be the Vongola boss?"

"Why are you asking this?"

"It seems that people continue to doubt me. How many times do I have to show everyone that I am as capable as any other men to lead the Vongola?"

"You are the Vongola boss, Ottavo. You are already doing a great job."

"Yes, I did. They only see me as Settimo's only child, I could take over the Vongola because of my father."

The Storm guardian gave a light sigh and she went near the desk to place the papers she was holding. 

"I did tell you to stop listening to people's bad remark about you, Ottavo. The more you listen, the more discouraged you are. You did mention that you want to be as capable as Vongola Primo, right?"

Daniela flinched a little and she looked away from her. 

"Well, I did mention that...I want to be as good as him."

"Your ways may be a little different from the previous bosses but that does not matter. You are the boss in your way."

"You are right. I'm comfortable with who I am, for now," she said and she was looking at the papers. "What are those papers, Eva?"

"Oh, they are letters from certain mafia families," Eva replied. "The bosses wished to meet you to form an alliance."

"Did they say when they will meet me?"

"They said it is up to Vongola Ottavo to arrange the date. They are waiting for your answer."

"I see," Daniela responded and she was looking at the calendar to choose the date for the meeting. "Tell them that I will be meeting them in the next two weeks."

"Next two weeks? Why not in the closest time?"

"I will be travelling to another place. In the meantime, I want you to take over my place for temporary. Once I am done with my work, I will return."

Eva nodded her head once and she stood there, watching her boss leaving the study room to do some preparation. 

* * *

Daniela finally arrived in Japan and it was the most tiring journey for her. She was still in the train station and she was looking at the map to look for the destination she wanted to go. 

"Mom, I'm hungry. Can we have something to eat?"

A boy about thirteen was looking at Daniela and he was yawning with his tired face. She was glancing at him and she realised that they had not been eating before the train stopped in Japan. 

"Alright. Let us find a place to eat."

"What are we doing here, mom? Are we looking for someone?"

"Yes, we are looking for someone. Someone who had left Italy long ago and settled here to start a new life."

"Really, mom?" the boy was looking at Daniela curiously. "Are you trying to look for the famous Great Sky, Vongola Primo?"

"Do you have any problem, young man?"

"Mom, he's supposed to be dead like years ago. There's no way we could find him at the time like this-"

Daniela roughly pulled the boy's ear and he yelled with pain. 

"I know what to do, and it would be great if you don't say something like that to him. At least give him respect, he's your ancestor."

"Alright! I'm sorry, mom!"

"Good," she released his ear and she looked around to look for a place to eat. "This place is different from Italy. What can we eat here, I wonder?"

"I don't know," the boy rubbed his ear and he looked around too. "All I see is rice and fish everywhere."

"Better than nothing. Anything that can be eaten."

"Perhaps you would like to try some riceballs, madam?"

Both of them turned around and they saw a man in his fifties, wearing a grey kinagashi. He was holding a wooden bucket of riceballs and he was smiling at them. Daniela was a little confused as she tried to ask that man.

"Uh, do you understand my language?"

"A little. I have a few friends of mine who can speak your language," the man answered and he placed the wooden bucket on the bench, taking out some riceballs. "You must be hungry during your long journey, why don't you eat some?"

"Thank you," Daniela smiled and she took some for her son. "My name is Daniela. May I know what is your name, sir?"

"Oh, my name is Asari Kazuhiro. Nice to meet you, Daniela-san. Are you coming here for a business trip?"

"Sort of. I am here to look for someone," she took out a photo and she showed it to Kazuhiro. "Do you know this man? Have you seen him around?"

Kazuhiro was staring at a picture of a man with spiky blond hair. He furrowed his eyebrows a little as if he had seen him before. 

"If I may ask, Daniela-san. Who is this man in the photo?"

"He's my ancestor. He left Italy long ago and I came here just to see him. Do you know where is he, Mr Kazuhiro?"

"I am afraid you are too late, Daniela-san. This man already passed away years ago. Right before the world war happened."

"How...how did you know?"

"This man is my friend's father. I knew him when I was young because I often came over to his house to play with his son."

"Is that so?"

"Daniela-san, is this man important to you?"

"Of course he's important to me," Daniela clenched her fists. "He's my family, and he's the reason why I wanted to be strong to protect the people I cared the most. I hated it when some say he's a murderer. He's not that kind of man who would do that such thing."

Kazuhiro was listening and he looked impressed with her answer. He covered the wooden bucket with the lid and packed some riceballs for them. 

"He would be happy to hear your words, Daniela-san. Since you are now in Japan, why don't you go and meet his family?"

"His family?"

"Upon his arrival in Japan, he had changed his name to Sawada Ieyasu to hide his true identity and it is his way to protect his family. I had been friends with his son named Yoshimune. It was until when the earthquake happened in my hometown, I completely lost contact with the Sawada. Though I heard rumours that they are now staying in a small town."

"Small town? Is it somewhere near?"

"Just take a train from here and you will arrive there in one hour."

"What??" the boy groaned. "Another trip on the train??"

Daniela smacked his head to shut his mouth and Kazuhiro laughed. 

"Sorry for his rudeness."

"It's fine. Is he your son?"

"Yes, his name is Timoteo."

"I see. Are you planning to meet the Sawada family?"

"I...I would like to see how Giotto's family looks like."

"Sure, I'll help you to get the tickets."

"Uh, Mr Kazuhiro. You are not coming too? You said that you completely lost contact with them."

"I would love too but for now, I am currently helping the villagers who had lost their family members due to war. Maybe someday, I'll get to meet them." 

"I understand," Daniela smiled. "Thank you so much for helping me, Mr Kazuhiro."

* * *

Daniela and Timoteo arrived in a small town and she realised that the place was not affected by the war compared to the place when she first arrived. She tried so hard to ask anyone but most of the people stayed away from her. 

"Is it just me or the people here are super unfriendly?" Daniela groaned with annoyance. "Wished that Mr Kazuhiro came along."

"Because they are afraid to see your face, mom," Timoteo answered her question.

"What is wrong with my face, huh??"

"People would be afraid to see someone with a tattoo on their face," Timoteo shrugged his shoulders. "I don't understand why would you want to paint your face with that kind of strange tattoo."

"Excuse me, young man! Mind your-"

"Wow! What a beautiful flower on your face!"

Both of them quickly turned around and this time, they saw a boy carrying some flowers. He had short blond hair that matched his heterochromia eyes. The boy's eyes were brightened with amazement while he stared at Daniela's flower tattoo on the side of her face. 

"Uh, is it really...beautiful?" Daniela asked the boy. 

"Yes, it is!" the boy answered truthfully. "I love those flowers painted on your face!"

"Well, thanks..." she smiled before she soon noticed the orange eye. 

The orange eye that was similar to Vongola Primo.

"Ietsuna! Where are you?" 

Another dark-brown haired man appeared and he was coming towards the boy with worry. Timoteo tugged his mother's shirt and she was looking at him. 

"Mom, do you think that boy is...Primo's possible descendant?"

"It's not possible. He is Primo's descendant."


	7. family

Daniela and Timoteo were sitting on the couch and they did not talk after being invited to the Sawada residence. They were glancing at the kitchen where they could see the blond boy preparing the green tea for the guests. Ietsuna then took out some traditional desserts and placed them on the small plates before serving it to Daniela and Timoteo.

"Have some tea and desserts," he politely spoke to them as he smiled. "It is rare for my father to have guests coming over to the house."

"Oh, well," Daniela cleared her throat. "We are here to see my long lost family and I thought that I could ask for your father's help."

"Long lost family in Japan? Sounds interesting," his smile grew wider and he bowed. "My name is Sawada Ietsuna and I'm about to turn 11 this year. Nice to meet you."

"You're 11?" Daniela blinked with surprise. "That means you are years younger than my son, Timoteo. My name is Daniela by the way."

Ietsuna was about to reply when Timoteo choked on the green tea he was drinking.

"Ew, why this tea is so bitter?? This is even worse than taking some medicine-"

Daniela quickly covered her son's mouth and she was giving her awkward smile to Ietsuna.

"Please forgive my son's rudeness. This is his first time travelling to a different country."

"Oh, don't mention it. I honestly never like to drink green tea when I first tasted it. But it'll get better if you drink for another few times. How about I get some water instead?"

"Sure, thank you so much."

Ietsuna went back to the kitchen to get some water while the other Sawada came down from stairs wearing a white shirt with black pants. Yoshinobu smiled to his guests as he took his seat, facing both Daniela and Timoteo.

"Good afternoon to both of you. I did not expect to have visitors from another country."

"I am truly sorry if we are such a bother to you, mister. I am here to find my long lost family and I did not know where I could start. So I decided to ask for your help."

"No, you're not bothering me at all. Before that, let me introduce myself. My name is Sawada Yoshinobu. Looks like you've seen my son, Ietsuna earlier."

"Yes, your son already introduced himself. I'm Daniela and this is my son, Timoteo."

"Nice to meet both of you. So, may I know how does your long lost family member look like?"

Daniela took out an old photo and she showed it to Yoshinobu. As soon he saw the photo, his eyes blinked with shock and his mind was unable to process what he should answer. She noticed his expression and she quickly tried to change the topic.

"Um, if you are uncomfortable with it, I understand-"

"No, I'm fine. I'm pretty surprised that you came here just to look for...my grandfather."

"Your grandfather? So it's true that-"

Yoshinobu placed his finger at his lips to silence her for a while. Ietsuna had returned from the kitchen and placed three glasses of water on the table. 

"Ietsuna?"

"Yes, father?"

"Would it be alright if you could bring this young man to play with your friends?"

Timoteo raised his eyebrows with curiosity. 

"I'm fine, I don't feel like-"

"Timoteo, why don't you go out and play with your new friend?" Daniela smiled at her son.

"Mom, why can't I-"

"I will whack your ass if you dare to talk back to me."

He gulped when he could see the evil grin from his mother's lips. He stood up without saying anything and he walked towards the door, waiting for Ietsuna to join him. The blond boy bowed to the other two before he left the house with Timoteo. Daniela let out a sigh of relief and she gave an apologetic smile to Yoshinobu. 

"I'm sorry if you have to see this. I, rarely had time with my son because of my work."

"You don't need to apologise for that, miss Daniela. I rather think that both of you get along quite well."

"I wished that my son is as good as yours, Mr Sawada. Your son is so polite and obedient. I even mistook him as someone else."

"You mean Vongola Primo?"

"Yes- Wait, did you say, Vongola Primo?"

"I did. That's my grandfather previous title when he was in Italy."

"But I thought he doesn't want his descendants to know about the Vongola history."

"We know a lot of things about the Vongola but that does not mean we would go back to Italy and get back what truly belongs to Primo," Yoshinobu chuckled. "My grandfather is happy with his new life."

He took a cup of green tea and sipped it. Daniela did the same but she took a glass of water to drink, thinking that she would not get used to the green tea's bitterness. 

"Miss Daniela, may I ask you something?"

"What is it, Mr Sawada?"

"You are now the Vongola boss, right?"

She nearly spat out the water she drank and quickly wiped off her mouth. 

"W-what? How did you know I'm the Vongola boss?"

"There's no need to be alarmed, miss Daniela," Yoshinobu laughed a little. "I happened to see the ring you are wearing."

"Oh, yes. This is the Vongola's Sky ring," she held out her hand to show her ring. "I took over the Vongola during the world war and it was a tough time for me back then."

"I see. How's the Vongola doing so far after Primo's resignation?"

Daniela slowly frowned as she took another sip of water. 

"After Primo left, it just got worse."

"Worse? Is it that bad after my grandfather left?"

"I am not proud to see the current Vongola. It is true that Primo established the vigilante group to help the people in need but ever since he left, the Vongola became a mafia group. The previous bosses were violent and ruthless, the complete opposite of the first Vongola boss. This made me think that they have forgotten the Vongola's true purpose."

"I see," Yoshinobu smiled sadly. "What my father told me before was true after all." 

"Your father?"

"He told me that something that my grandfather left behind was indeed his most valuable treasure in his life. Since it has been destroyed, he had no reason to take it back."

Daniela pursed her lips tightly and she could imagine the founder's disappointed face after looking at the current Vongola. 

"Primo was the reason why I wanted to be the Vongola boss and I want to restore what the Vongola should be in the first place. I also want to prove to everyone that I am as capable as other men."

"Why would you say that, miss Daniela? I don't see anything wrong for a woman to be the boss."

"Some of them feel insulted when women are more powerful than them," she had a grateful smile on her face. "I wish that they are as thoughtful as you are, Mr Sawada." 

"And I think you've done a great job as a boss. My grandfather would be proud of you."

"Really?"

"Yes. I wish all the best to you leading the Vongola."

"Thank you so much, Mr Sawada," Daniela nodded her head once. "I could not believe that I would get to meet Primo's descendants."

"If I could turn back the time, I wished that I could apologise to my grandfather."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, it's nothing," he shook his head. "You can stay at my house until you are ready to return to your country. You can also join me and my son to visit my family's grave tomorrow."

"Is that why you bought some flowers?"

"That's right. Speaking of my family, how did you find me here?"

"A man named Asari Kazuhiro said he last heard that the Sawada family had moved to the small town after I showed him the picture of Vongola Primo. He helped us a lot after we arrived in Japan."

"Asari Kazuhiro?" he blinked with surprise before he smiled with relief. "I can't believe he's still around after many years."

"I guess he must be an important person to you, Mr Sawada."

"He is. He's my father's best friend. Not only that, but uncle Kazuhiro's father was also my grandfather's good friend."

"Ah, I see- Wait, his father was Primo's good friend?"

"Yes. His father was Vongola Primo's Rain guardian, Asari Ugetsu."

* * *

Both Ietsuna and Timoteo were walking at the street and they did not talk to each other. The Italian boy with a fair-coloured hair found it awkward to talk with someone he hardly knew and he could not understand why the blond boy would easily talk to a total stranger.

"Your name is Timmy, right?"

"No, it's Timoteo."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Timoteo-san."

"It's Timoteo!" he snapped. "Why do you need to add the word 'sun' behind my name??"

"Sorry, sorry!" Ietsuna bowed twice and he smiled nervously as he tried to explain. "It's not a word, it's an honorific in my country. We address the older people with the word 'san' and if anyone about my age, I would address them as either 'kun' for boys or 'chan' for girls."

"Alright, so...why are you addressing me as 'sun' instead of 'kun'?"

"Your mother said that you are a few years older than me, so I should address you as Timoteo-san."

"You know what? Just call by my name. Only Timoteo. It gets even more strange if you add those honorifics in my name."

"But, that sounds disrespectful-"

"I don't mind! I'm feeling so uncomfortable if you are being too polite to me unless you're talking to my mom."

He turned away and he scratched his head with his annoyed look. He never knew it was difficult to talk to someone foreign though the blond boy had unbelievable politeness. 

"Timoteo, you are coming with your mother?"

"Yeah, only both of us. She said she wanted to find the long lost family in Japan and she dragged me along. The whole journey is tiring. I've been sitting on the train like for many years and I would much rather stay at home with my grandpa."

"Where's your father?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I have been staying with my other relative's home while my mom is working. She's too busy with her work and she only came to see me when she had free time. Some damn kids think I'm an orphan and that annoys me a lot. Aunt Eva had been telling me that my mom was trying her best to spend some time for me but I think that she loves her job more than her child."

Timoteo was sitting under the large tree and he was sulking. Ietsuna lightly shook his head and he sat beside him, looking at the sky. 

"You shouldn't say about your mother like that, Timoteo. She brought you along to Japan was already proof that she wanted to be a better mother to you."

"Don't say as you understand."

"I wish I could understand."

"What are you talking about?"

"I lost my mother after I was born. I grew up without my mother's love."

"You...lost your mother?"

"I envied you, Timoteo. You have a beautiful mother who often scolded you for being so rude. She brought you along so that she could spend some time with you. What about me? No one was there to scold me, or bringing me out, or even cooking some food for me and my father. I was staying with Mrs Tanaka while my father was working. Hatsuka and Hanako often played with me but whenever I return home, it was quiet."

The blond boy sighed sadly and he buried his face on his knees.

"Sometimes, I wished my mother would say, welcome home." 

Timoteo was quiet as he had been listening to Ietsuna. It was true that Daniela had been busy handling the Vongola after she became the boss but she would not forget to see her son once she was done with her work. She also brought him to see Fabio so that he could talk with his grandfather. He admitted that he was happy to travel with his mother since he often complained that she loved her work more than himself. 

He had something that Ietsuna did not have in his life. Yet, he often complained about it. 

The Italian boy held out his hand and he roughly ruffled the blond boy's hair. Ietsuna flinched with shock and he turned to look at him. 

"W-what is that for??"

"Stop moping around already. Your mom would be sad if she sees you like this. Stay happy and she knows you are doing fine in your life."

"Really?"

"W-why would I lie?" Timoteo looked away. "At least I don't want you to look sad all the time. And, thank you for making me realise that I have a parent who tried her best for the sake of their child."

Ietsuna grew confused for a while and he soon smiled to him. 

"You're welcome."


	8. insecure

**_"My father was able to activate the Sky flames, just like my grandfather."_ **

_**"What about you, Mr Sawada? Can you do it?"** _

**_"No, I can't. Until now, I was not able to activate it."_ **

**_"Why? I thought it's possible because you are Primo's grandson."_ **

**_"I don't know. Or perhaps...I don't deserve to have that flame."_ **

He found himself standing in the darkness and he did not know what to do next. He slowly turned around and he could see three figures standing in front of him. 

One had spiky hair and they were wearing a black cloak. The other one was holding a fan at their hand and the last figure was shorter than the other two and had a long hair tied with a large ribbon. 

Sawada Ieyasu, Sawada Yoshimune and Reiko were looking at him with their sorrowful look. 

Why would they look at him like that?

_"Why? Why did I do?"_

The three of them started to walk away from him and when he tried to chase after them, something was grabbing his legs, preventing him from going further. 

Thick brown vines were tying up his legs and he was being dragged into the darkness. 

_"Let me off! Let go!! Someone please, help me!! Grandpa, father!! Reiko!!"_

Someone else was shaking his shoulder to wake him up and his eyes were wide open, feeling a little terrified. 

"Father, are you alright?"

Yoshinobu was still shaken from his sudden nightmare and he was confused.

"Father??"

He slowly turned to look at his worried son and he was able to breathe normally. 

"Sorry, Ietsuna...I'm just having a bad dream..."

"Bad dream? Is it really scary?"

"Maybe, but I'm fine now," Yoshinobu tried to smile to his son. "I'm going to brush my teeth first. We don't want to be late visiting the grave."

"Father, if you're not feeling well, we can visit another time-"

"No, I'm fine. We already promised to your mother, your grandfather and your great-grandfather that we will visit them. We also wanted to bring our visitors to meet them, right?"

Ietsuna nodded his head once and he left the room to prepare some breakfast for his father and the visitors. 

He poured out some miso soup in the bowls, placing some baked salmon on the plates, adding some natto on the small bowls and some cucumber salad on other small plates. He lastly prepared four bowls when Daniela and Timoteo came out from their room. 

"Good morning, Ietsuna," Daniela greeted with a friendly smile on her face. 

"Ah, good morning, Daniela-san. Good morning, Timoteo," Ietsuna greeted back. "Have a seat, my father will be here soon."

"Did you cook all these?" Daniela was looking at the food with amazement. 

"Yes, I did," Ietsuna replied and he placed some drinks on the table. "Mrs Tanaka often cooks for me and my father. Since she also needs to take care of her granddaughters, I decided to learn to cook for my father. She taught me to cook lots of simple dishes."

"Your father is such a lucky man," Daniela took her seat. "Are these the Japanese breakfast meal?"

"Yes, it's our breakfast every day. We have rice served with baked salmon, natto, cucumber salad and a bowl of miso soup."

"But, why does this thing smells like blue cheese?" Timoteo asked curiously while pointing at the natto. 

"Because those soybeans have been fermented with Bacillus subtilis," Ietsuna replied. "It has a strong pungent smell like old cheese, the more smelly the better its taste."

Timoteo's face went a little pale and he regretted asking the question. 

"I shouldn't have asked..."

"Too late, young man," said Daniela. "You still need to eat it."

"Mom, this tastes as bad as the mouldy blue cheese. How can you eat this?"

"I've seen worse than blue cheese and natto. Do you want me to tell you what is it?"

"...on second thought, I'd rather eat this sticky beans."

Ietsuna laughed while he was looking at them talking to each other. Daniela and Timoteo turned to look at him with curiosity. 

"What's so funny?" the Italian boy asked.

"S-sorry. It's just that, both of you reminded me of my father and my grandpa."

"Your father and your grandpa?" asked Daniela. 

"When I was little, my grandpa bought something from the market and he showed it to my father. My grandpa said that he would like to try cooking the fish he bought and my father was against it because that fish had a strong smell. My grandpa then told him, it's his fault for not asking Mrs Tanaka's help to cook for us."

"I see," she laughed as well.

"Daniela-san. Who is the one painted those flowers on your face?"

"You mean my tattoo? My friend, Eva drew it for me. She's a talented artist."

"Really? That's great, I wished she could draw some on my face."

"Why are you saying that, Ietsuna? Your eyes are pretty too, you know."

"My...eyes?"

"Yes, I love your special eyes."

"Oh..." 

"Is there anything wrong?"

"Aside from my father, my grandpa and Hatsuka, you are the first person to say something nice about my eyes."

"You...don't like your eyes?"

"To be honest, I don't really like it," Ietsuna frowned. "The children would stare at me as if I'm a monster. I'm different from them. No one wanted to be my friend because of my appearance. I once heard some of them saying that my orange eye looked hideous, like...a sea creature's eyes."

Daniela was listening but she was clenching her fists tightly. It made her angry when some people insulted Ietsuna's orange eye that was highly similar to Vongola Primo's eyes. 

"You should be proud of it."

Timoteo spoke up in sudden and he was staring intently at Ietsuna, much to Daniela's surprise. 

"I should be...proud of it?"

"Why do you care so much about their comments? They are just jealous because they don't have nice eyes as you have. Like a sea creature, huh? Be thankful you still look like human or else you would eat them up alive."

"O-Oi, Timoteo! What is that supposed to mean??" Daniela snapped. 

"I'm saying nothing but the truth, mom. Some adults are making fun of mom's face because of your tattoo. I told them they could continue laughing because someday, they will end up marrying a woman who is ten times uglier than mom." 

Daniela was stunned at her son's explanation and Ietsuna was surprised as he listened. 

"Timoteo, did you...really mean that?"

"If only grandpa would shoot them for insulting mom," he muttered. "I don't think grandpa would be happy if anyone says something bad about mom."

"I guess he will."

Ietsuna could not stop smiling and he felt the burden inside his heart had lifted. 

"T-thank you so much, Timoteo. I...I've never been this happy to hear your advice."

"Advice?" the Italian boy said awkwardly. "It's more like sarcasm to me-"

"Because of you, I started to think that having different coloured eyes is not bad at all. Since your mother says that she loves my eyes, then I should learn to accept it."

"...well, I'm glad you understand."

After some time, Yoshinobu came down from stairs and he joined the three of them to have breakfast together. They had a pleasant conversation before they were prepared to visit the graveyard. 

* * *

"Good morning, Mr Sawada. Are you visiting your family?"

"Yes, and I'm bringing visitors as well so that they could meet my family."

Yoshinobu was talking to the gravedigger who helped him during his father's funeral years ago while Timoteo was helping Ietsuna to clean the tombstone.

"Hey, Ietsuna."

"Yes?"

"How do you read this name on the tombstone?"

"Oh, it's Sawada Yoshimune (沢田吉宗). Japanese people would write their names starting from their surname name to their given name."

"Sawada Yoshimune? Is that your...great-grandfather's name?"

"No, he's my grandpa. The tombstone at my grandpa's right-hand side is my great-grandfather. His name is Sawada Ieyasu (沢田家康)."

"So that's Primo's name..." Timoteo muttered. 

"Excuse me?"

"N-nothing. Have you ever met your great-grandfather?"

"Too bad, I never have the chance to meet him. He died when my father was about to graduate from high school. But my grandpa told me that I looked so much like him."

"Because both you and your great-grandfather have blond hair. You directly inherited from him."

"Thanks. We're almost done. Next one is my mother's tombstone."

"Your mother?"

"Yes, over here, next to my grandpa. Her name is Takahashi Reiko (高橋麗子)."

"You once told me that she died due to illness, right?"

"Yes, my mother told my father that she did not want him to be alone. That is why she had me to accompany my father."

Timoteo was only staring at Ietsuna while he was still busy cleaning the tombstone before placing some flowers on each tombstone. 

"I've never seen such a strong child like him."

The Italian boy was looking at his mother and she was amazed to see how the Sawadas overcome the hard times. 

"Mom?"

"Normally, a child who lost either one or both parents would be grieving and ended up rebelling because they don't have their parents' love. It seems that Mr Sawada raises his child well. Not only that. His mother never feared death. She still chose to get pregnant for the sake of her husband despite the illness she was suffering."

Daniela was looking at the Sky ring at her finger. 

"When it was the time for me to take over the Vongola, I was afraid. So afraid that I would not be able to lead the Vongola as my father did. I was afraid that I might disappoint everyone. I even afraid of death after witnessing violence and bloodshed in my life. Then, my father told me. It is fine to be afraid. What I should do next is up to me."

Yoshinobu soon joined his son and they were arranging some food on each tombstone. Daniela let out a small sigh and she was smiling at them. 

"I believe that Takahashi Reiko was also afraid when she had to make tough choices. In the end, she did what is best for her family."

"Mom, you are already doing your best."

"Timoteo?"

"You lead the Vongola well, so why you need to be so anxious about it? You still have Aunt Eva and other guardians to help mom, right?"

"You're right. I'm thankful to have them by my side."

Yoshinobu and Ietsuna were done with their work and called out for Daniela and Timoteo to join them. The four of them were praying silently to Ieyasu, Yoshimune and Reiko before they return home. 

* * *

"What do you think about Japan?"

"It is completely different from Italy but I love it. Since the war had just ended, there are not many things I could see. Maybe I should come here again after a few years."

"You are welcome here anytime. Only if you have free time to visit again."

Daniela and Timoteo were ready to return to their country and they were waiting to board the next train. Yoshinobu and Ietsuna were there to say goodbye to them. 

"Mr Sawada, you should not give up trying. If you still can't do it, you will need to find the causes of its problem. Don't ever say you don't deserve to have that special gift if you don't try."

"I know, miss Daniela. Thanks for telling me."

"What's that gift, father?" Ietsuna asked curiously. 

"Oh, nothing. This is just an adult's conversation," Yoshinobu grinned at his son. 

"Really? Then I want to grow up fast."

Timoteo spat out some water he was drinking from the bottle and he was glaring at Ietsuna. 

"Excuse me? What do you mean by you want to grow up fast??"

"So that I can see more things once I'm an adult. Is it wrong?"

"You still have a long way to go, being an adult is pretty bad-"

Daniela immediately pulled his ear ("Owww!!") and he stopped talking. She turned to look at them while she tried to give her best smile. 

"I'm sorry for his behaviour. He's just being too honest."

"It's fine, miss Daniela. I understand that your son is trying to help. We are happy that both of you came over to see us."

"I'm glad to see you and your family. I learn a lot of new things during my stay."

"We'll meet again one day."

"We will."

The train arrived and the passengers were seen coming out from the railway carriage. Daniela and Timoteo waved at Yoshinobu and Ietsuna before they went inside the carriage and finding a place to sit. After some minutes passed, the train started to move to the next destination and Yoshinobu was watching from far. 

"Father, will they come here again?"

"They will. Maybe someday."

"Excuse me, are you Sawada Yoshinobu?"

Both of them turned around and there was a man in his fifties, wearing a grey kinagashi and he was carrying a suitcase. He was smiling at them and Yoshinobu started to recognise him. 

"Are you...uncle Kazuhiro?"

"Yes, it's great to see you again, Shin."


	9. spring

_**"What are you doing here, little one? Shouldn't you be at home at this hour?"** _

_**"I...I want to collect some twigs...to build a snowman."** _

_**"I see. What is your name?"** _

_**"F...father says I should not talk to strangers."** _

_**"Your father taught you so well. We will meet again one day, little one."** _

Ietsuna blinked his eyes in sudden and he nearly fell off from the bench he sat on. He rubbed his eyes and he remembered that he was waiting for Hatsuka and Hanako to buy some sweets from the shop. 

He was still young back then but he did not forget that mysterious white-haired man with round glasses wearing a plain green kinagashi. He wondered why that man would say that they will meet again one day. 

It was not important to him at the moment as he was thinking about his new life at the junior high school. Hatsuka was in her first year at the junior high school and she was going to be a second-year student once Ietsuna enrolled in the same school with her. Her older sister, Hanako managed to get good marks from her entrance exam and she was able to continue studying in senior high school. 

The only problem he would face was the judgement of the students. He could remember his classmates' faces when he attended the elementary school for the first time. 

_**"Why his hair is so yellow? Did a bucket of paint fell on his head?"** _

_**"Whoa, what happened to his eyes?"** _

_**"I don't know? Maybe an evil monster took his eye away and gave him an ugly one?"** _

He never knew they were much meaner than Hanako and because of his appearance, the boys had been bullying him during the recess period. 

When Yoshinobu received a call from the elementary school's principal, telling him that Ietsuna was caught climbing on the school's roof, he immediately went to the school to check on his son. Instead of scolding him for being a naughty child, he went to his son's classroom and locked the doors, not allowing any of his classmates to return home until they confessed that they had been bullying Ietsuna. 

None of the teachers and the parents would dare to say or do anything to stop Yoshinobu. 

**_"We...we want to go home, sir."_ **

_**"I will let you go home until any of you admitted that you have been bullying Sawada Ietsuna."** _

_**"But, our parents are waiting-"** _

_**"I am teaching your parents how to be a better parent. Parents who are free to let their children do whatever they wanted including bullying their classmates are nothing but a huge failure. Now, admit it or all of you will stay in this classroom for the rest of your life. Once you admit it, I will let him decide what he will do to you."** _

After half an hour had passed, some boys timidly stood up from their seats and they were looking at Yoshinobu.

**_"We're sorry, sir."_ **

**_"No, say sorry to Ietsuna. Do it."_ **

The boys quickly went to Ietsuna and they repeatedly apologising to him. Others were expecting him to beat them up but instead, the blond boy smiled to them and he accepted their apologies. 

One of the boys asked him a question.

**_"Hey, why would you forgive us after what we have done to you? Your father is really mad at us."_ **

**_"My father told me that revenge is not an answer. It did nothing but hurt us more."_ **

Ietsuna was glad that it was over but fear kicked into his mind when he was about to attend junior high school. 

"Sorry, we're late!"

Hatsuka and Hanako were coming to him with a small bag of sweets they bought from a shop. They sat on the bench and they were giving some sweets to Ietsuna much to his surprise. 

"Uh, why would you give me a lot of sweets?"

"To celebrate your last day at elementary school," Hanako answered as she started to eat the chocolate bar. "I'm super glad that I left elementary school fast."

"Why would you say such a thing, Hanako?" Ietsuna asked curiously.

"Because I hate the teachers there. Also, the boys are horrible," Hanako angrily replied while she took another bite of the bar. "They pulled my hair, my skirt and they even stole some food from me and my friends. Thank goodness I don't have to see most of them coming to high school."

"That's because you often say something bad to them," Hatsuka added. "It's no wonder they were mean to you."

"Whatever. I prefer my life in high school."

"So, how does high school looks like?"

"Oh, it's challenging," Hanako smirked. "You will get to meet a lot of seniors at that school and I'm sure they will be more helpful towards the new students-"

"Big sister, don't scare Ietsuna!" Hatsuka snapped at her. "He had enough with the bullies in elementary school!"

"Sorry."

"I see," Ietsuna's tone was gloomy. 

"D-don't worry, you'll be fine at your new school," Hatsuka said quickly. "You'll learn new things like basketball, baseball, or maybe a school band. I can help you since I'm still at junior high school."

"I...I know that. I heard that students in high school are meaner than in elementary school."

"Well, maybe yes. But your father can help-"

"No. I don't want any of the students to be afraid of me because of my father. The boys in my classroom were only nice to me after my father had punished them for bullying me. I don't want to trouble my father. He's already busy with his work."

Ietsuna lowered his head and his eyes were looking at the grass. At this moment, he recalled Timoteo's advice to him.

**_"Why do you care so much about their comments? They are just jealous because they don't have nice eyes as you have. Like a sea creature, huh? Be thankful you still look like human or else you would eat them up alive."_ **

He smiled, wishing that Timoteo was around to play with him again. 

"I want to make new friends. I want to overcome my fear. I will try to ignore any insults. That way, I might be able to move on. Right?"

"I'm glad to hear that," Hatsuka smiled and she gave him dango (Japanese sweet dumplings). "Here's your favourite. This is to welcome you to junior high school."

"Thank you so much, Hatsuka."

* * *

The spring had arrived and the cherry blossom bloomed on the day where Ietsuna would start his new life as a first-year student in junior high school. 

He woke up earlier to prepare the breakfast and he was surprised to see his father coming down from stairs. 

"Good morning, father," Ietsuna greeted. "You're early today."

"Today is the day you will attend junior high school, so I should be early," Yoshinobu smiled while correcting his necktie. 

"Hatsuka could not wait to see me coming to school. Maybe I will be able to meet her during recess."

"I'm sure she would. Katsuya's son was also attending the same school as you. He's in the second year, the same as Hatsuka."

"Oh, she always talked about him when she went to junior high school last year."

"Because both of them are childhood friends. Mrs Tanaka worked as Katsuya's housekeeper and even after her retirement, he often invited her for dinner. So she brought along her granddaughters and that's how Hatsuka and Satoshi met."

"I never met him before. Is he a friendly person?"

"I would say, he used to be that kind of person."

"Used to be?"

"I'm not sure for now since I seldom went over to Katsuya's house. Even he's busy handling his family affair."

"Uncle Katsuya was the one who saved grandpa's life, right?"

"Yes. He even helped us keeping your great-grandfather's cremation urn before we moved to this small town. If it was not because of him, we won't be able to make it until now."

Ietsuna placed the usual food on the table and they started to eat. 

"Father?"

"Yes?"

"How was your life attending junior high school for the first time?"

Yoshinobu was quiet for a while, reminiscing his high school life. 

"The new school year started off as Nyuugakushiki or better known as a special Entrance ceremony for all the first-year students. Students look forward to the beginning of the new academic year and it was always good to make the first day enjoyable, especially for new students who would be nervous on their first day in a new setting. Elementary school does have a special entrance ceremony but high school gives a different environment. The ceremony was attended by the students and their families. The new students dress in their school uniforms while parents dress formally. Some times grandparents also participate in the ceremony."

"So, your parents were there too?"

"Yes, even your great-grandfather. His presence attracted almost all the female students and teachers' attention. Most of the female students purposely came to me or wanting me to be their friend just to get more details about your great-grandfather."

"That's because great-grandpa is good looking. If I were a girl, I would fall for him."

"Why would you say that? You have his blond hair."

"Yes, I do but people think I'm weird. I'm the only one with yellow hair while almost everyone is either black or brown. I feel like I'm an ugly duckling in the story."

"You call yourself ugly like that poor duckling. But, did you know the ending of the story?"

"The duckling grows up and realised that he had been a beautiful swan instead of a duck?"

"Yes. A person who turns out to be beautiful or talented against all expectations. You don't need to be like anyone so that they could accept you. You are you and that is most important."

Ietsuna was looking at his father and then stared at his reflection from the glass of water. 

"Come to think of it, I do love the blond hair I had it from great-grandpa. It looks more like golden blond than normal blond colour."

"Like the colour of the bright evening sky, right?"

"I'm about to say that."

They were laughing and Ietsuna wished that he could talk with his father a little longer. It was almost time for them to leave and they cleared the table before dressing up to his new school. 

He left his room and he was adjusting his new black uniform. Yoshinobu came out with his suit and he was helping him correcting his shirt collar. 

"Your school uniform is better than mine when I was a student."

"How does your school uniform look like, father?"

"A kimono matched with hakama (skirt-like pants) and a cap. I do wear a shirt and a necktie inside my kimono."

"Don't you feel hot wearing those?"

"No, I find it much comfortable. Yours are easier to wear. No need to worry about pants falling off in the class."

The blond boy laughed at his father's comment and they soon left the house. Hatsuka and Hanako were waiting for them to go to school together and there were a lot of new students accompanied by their parents. 

The homeroom teachers were placing the ribbons on the first-year students' uniforms before they entered the school gym and taking their seats. Parents would be standing behind them as they watched and Yoshinobu could see his son clearly because of his blond hair. 

Ietsuna was a little nervous, expecting some negative remarks from other students around him. 

"Hey, look at his hair. It looks beautiful."

"I know, right? His hair colour looks like the pretty English ladies in the magazine."

"Oh my, did you see his eyes? So it's true that it's rare to have two coloured eyes."

"I think this is the first time there's a foreigner student come to study in this school."

"I would love to talk to him if he's in my class."

He had been listening and he felt strange. He felt as if he had been accepted by other people. He smiled to himself, pretending to listen to the principal's speech.

"I guess this might be a good start for me."

As other teachers were watching, a woman in her forties was standing near the door and she felt bored. She wanted the entrance ceremony to end so that she could return to the school infirmary to do her job. 

That was when she looked at a dark brown-haired man with a scar across his left eye. Someone that she used to know.

"Is that...Sawada Yoshinobu?"


	10. care

"What do you think of your life at junior high school so far, Ietsuna?"

"I'm doing fine at the moment. It's only a week after attending junior high school."

Hatsuka and Ietsuna were walking to school together and some of their classmates greeted both of them as they walked past them. Hatsuka noticed that his female classmates were the ones that greeted him compared to his male classmates.

"Looks like you have lots of admirers, Ietsuna," she grinned.

"I don't know about that," Ietsuna scratched his face. "The girls in my class kept on asking me lots of questions. Like, do any of my family members ever married to a foreigner or if I could speak fluent English as other English people. Even some girls from other classes were watching me from far."

"At least better than being bullied, right? Looks like you are getting comfortable in this school compared to elementary school."

"I guess you are right."

"Since lots of girls were admiring you, what about the boys in your class? Aren't they jealous with you for getting more attention from girls?"

"Only a few of them. But other boys wanted me to participate in sports. I'm not good at anything."

"You won't know if you don't try," Hatsuka clapped his shoulder. "And you are not the only one who's not good at sports."

"I'm only good at cooking. Few of the boys laughed at me because of it."

"Does gender matter when it comes to cooking? It is a skill and anyone can learn. My father cooks better than my mother and no one ever laughed about it. Besides, cooking taught you something more than just food and taste."

"...Hatsuka, you sound a lot like your granny. She says the same thing to me when I wanted her to teach me how to cook."

"I've always loved her cooking but I missed my father's cooking. Wished that my parents come home regularly."

"They will come home one day, Hatsuka. Oh, what about your childhood friend?"

"My childhood friend?"

"You know, uncle Katsuya's son? You always talked about him when you first come to junior high school."

"Ah, you mean Satoshi? He's in a different class, so I only can see him during lunchtime. But, he's been busy lately."

"Busy? What club is he joining?"

Hatsuka was about to answer when one of her classmates came to her and telling her that their homeroom teacher wanted to see her. She had to excuse herself, leaving Ietsuna to walk to his classroom.

"Good morning, Ietsuna!!" the girls greeted him happily outside his classroom and he gave his awkward smile to them.

"Uh, good morning, everyone."

"Hey, Ietsuna! Who's that girl you are walking with??" asked one of the girls.

"Is she your girlfriend??" the other girl asked with her threatening voice. "Or is she trying to ask you for a date??"

"N-no, she's my childhood friend!" Ietsuna answered and he grew uncomfortable. "Hatsuka has been like a big sister to me, she could not be possibly my girlfriend."

"But both of you are so close," the girl grinned. "Looks more than just a big sister."

Ietsuna wanted to respond when one of the boys from his classroom stood up and shouted at the girls.

"Why are you girls so interested in him and his friend?? Don't you have anything to do other than trying to flirt with Sawada?!"

"This is none of your business, Sakaguchi Kuro!" one of them shouted back to him. "Boys are not allowed to know what are girls doing!"

"Oh, is that so?"

Another girl from Ietsuna's classroom came out and she placed her arm around Ietsuna's shoulder. She was a tall girl with long black hair and her voice was hoarse. Some people often mistook her as a boy because of her voice and her height.

"I would love to know more about your plan, girls," the tall girl smirked at them.

The girls gulped nervously and they quickly returned to their classes. Ietsuna sighed and he turned to look at the tall girl named Hasegawa Aratani.

"Thanks for you help, Hasegawa," Ietsuna smiled and he grinned. And, I think you should tie up your hair."

"Nah, just let it be," Aratani shook her head, making her long hair even messier. "I can frighten more people with it. And please, call me Aratani instead of my surname."

"Alright, and I don't want you to get scolded by our homeroom teacher," Ietsuna took out a black rubber band and he gave it to her. "Here, take this and tie up your hair."

Aratani simply took it and she started to tie her hair. A boy with short black hair named Sakaguchi Kuro came to Ietsuna and he shook his head lightly.

"I thought a good looking guy like you is lucky to have all the girls' attention."

"You call that lucky??" Ietsuna raised his eyebrows. "I feel like suffocating when they keep on surrounding me. They better not try to do anything bad to Hatsuka."

"Oh, you don't need to worry about her, Sawada," Aratani replied. "Tanaka Hatsuka is one of the student council members and she won't be easily bullied by other students."

"I do hope so. If anything happens to her, I..."

"Just beat the sh*t all of them if you have to!" Sakaguchi showed his fist. "Tell them it's not wise to mess with you!"

"Sakaguchi, no violence against girls. And my father does not allow me to learn martial arts."

"Why is that so? How are you going to protect yourself if he does not allow you to learn martial arts?"

"Uh, run away?"

Aratani snorted with laughter and both of them were looking at her. 

"Sorry, I did not expect Sawada to answer that," she gave a small grin. "Though I guess it's wise to escape than trying to fight against any bullies in the school."

"Why are you saying as if something happened in this school?" Sakaguchi asked curiously.

"I heard rumours. Two years ago, there was a gang fight in this school and those who participated were badly injured. This incident would directly tarnish the school name and the principal was trying his best to hide it from the public. Especially when he found out that his son was involved in the gang fight."

"The principal's son was involved?" Ietsuna's eyes widened with shock. "Was he trying to protect the school reputation or his son??"

"Who knows?" Aratani shrugged her shoulders. "The principal hid it so well that no one knew about the gang fight."

"Where did you hear this rumour, Hasegawa?" Sakaguchi asked.

"Some seniors in this school whispered about it. Well, we need to get back to class before the teacher comes in."

* * *

It was afternoon and the students were having a lunch break. Ietsuna took out his lunch box and he started to eat. He was thinking of what he would cook for dinner once he returned home. 

_**"How are you going to protect yourself if he does not allow you to learn martial arts?"** _

Sakaguchi did have a point. He needed to learn to protect himself in case anything bad happened to him. 

The problem was his father would not allow him to learn how to fight. Because of the bullies, he wanted to learn to fight ever since he was studying in elementary school. However, Yoshinobu had been telling him that he did not need to learn any self-defence skills. 

He could remember his father's shocked look when he once told him about it. His father shook his head and he gave his best-assuring smile to him.

**_"As long as I am still alive, I will make sure that no one will ever hurt you, Ietsuna. I promise."_ **

Yoshinobu's hands were on his son's shoulders and were shivering as he spoke. Ietsuna could feel it but he did not ask. 

It was not the first time he saw his father's uneasy look. Sometimes he saw his father suffering from a nightmare when he was sleeping.

**_"...I'm sorry, grandpa. I'm sorry..."_ **

When he tried to ask his father about his nightmare, this was his answer.

_**"Did I say something nonsense again? It's nothing. I'm sorry for worrying you."** _

Ietsuna frowned. He did not want to see his father suffer again-

"Wow, what a nice lunch you have, Sawada."

He turned around and he could see Aratani's face just beside his shoulder.

"Wargh!!" 

He screamed with shock and had one of his knees hit under his table. 

"I'm so sorry, Sawada," Aratani smiled apologetically. "It's cute to see your horrified look."

"The next time you do that, I will die of shock..." Ietsuna mumbled and he was crying with pain, rubbing his knee. 

"Sorry. I did see you eating your food but you are spacing out as if you are thinking of something. So I come over to see you."

"...yeah, thanks for your concern. Did you have your lunch, Aratani?"

"I've already eaten. Did you cook all these by yourself?"

"Yes, I made one for my father too so that he could eat it at his workplace."

"Wow, I wish that I can cook. My father would not allow me to enter the kitchen when I was young." 

"Maybe he's worried that you would get hurt in the kitchen." 

"My mother died after the explosion happened in the kitchen. He was afraid that I might get the same fate as hers."

"...I'm sorry-"

"No worries," Aratani laughed. "It was over and I told my father that I'm a big girl and it's time for me to help him manage his small restaurant."

"Your father owns a restaurant?"

"Yes, only open from six to midnight. After I'm done with school work, I'll help him serving the customers."

"You do love your father so much, Aratani."

"If I didn't love him, who else? My father is such a crybaby, drinking and calling out for my mother's name. I have to drag him to his bedroom and made him sleep."

"...I lost my mother too. She died after I was born, so I could not get to feel her love."

"...Sorry, I didn't know that."

"It's alright. At least, you still get to see your mother before she died."

"...Don't show your face like that, Sawada. Or your mother will come and haunt you in your dreams."

"...could you not saying that?"

Aratani laughed and she ruffled his hair before she stood up and returned to her seat. Ietsuna had a small smile on his face before he resumed eating his lunch. 

After he was done eating, he went to the washroom to wash his hands. He was about to enter when he accidentally bumped onto someone. 

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't see you coming-"

Ietsuna stopped talking and he saw a teenage boy about his age standing in front of the washroom. He had short messy brown hair that almost covering his ears and had a pair of frightening-looking eyes. 

Did he just bump onto a wrong person at a wrong time?

"Uh, I...I didn't mean to..."

"The lunch break is almost over," the other asked coldly. "Why are you still here?"

"I just want to wash my hands, that's all!" Ietsuna quickly answered. "After that, I'll return to my class-"

"Satoshi!" 

Hatsuka was running towards them and she stopped, trying to catch her breath. 

"W-where have you been? The homeroom teacher is looking for you..."

"Do you need to run just to look for me?" the boy named Satoshi spoke out. 

"Well, it's hard to find you," Hatsuka crossed her arms on her chest. "I've been asking all your classmates to ask your whereabouts."

"Fine, I'll see the teacher. No need to lead me." 

He simply pats her shoulder and he walked away to meet the homeroom teacher. Ietsuna began to know who was that boy after Hatsuka called out for his name. 

"Hatsuka, is that Satoshi? Your childhood friend?"

"Ah, yes. It's him. I'm so sorry if he ever tried to frighten you. He's often like that."

"No, it's my fault for bumping onto him. But I admit that he's quite scary."

"You are not the only one feels that way, Ietsuna. Almost everyone in this school is afraid of him."

"Why is that so?"

Hatsuka let out a small sigh. 

"Uncle Katsuya is not only the head of the yakuza. He is also the head of the Hibari clan."


	11. surname

Ietsuna was packing his bag and he was waiting for Hatsuka who was still in the meeting room with the rest of the student council members. Almost all the students went home after school hours and he wanted to go and buy something in the market.

He glanced at the classroom window and he saw a boy with messy brown hair walking towards the school gate. There was someone else waiting to fetch him back to his house. 

_"So he's Hatsuka's childhood friend named Hibari Satoshi. He has a cold attitude but he seems to care about Hatsuka."_

Ietsuna was mentally thinking and he could understand why almost all the students and teachers were afraid of him. Hatsuka told him that Satoshi came from an influential family as his father, Katsuya was the current head of the Hibari family. 

What surprised Ietsuna was about Katsuya. He was the head of the yakuza. 

He scratched his head with his confused look. He knew what yakuza was. It was a powerful Japanese criminal organisation and it was a bad thing. He wondered how his father befriended with someone who was involved with something illegal-

"Sorry for making you wait, Ietsuna!"

Hatsuka quickly came to him and she smiled apologetically. She looked exhausted after the meeting with the student council members. 

"Hatsuka, you're getting busier lately. Why don't you take a rest?"

"Ah, I'm fine!" she grinned. "Being a student council member is much tougher than a normal student, but it's fun."

"I think you are busier than your childhood friend, Satoshi. I saw someone else fetching him home."

"Really? That must be uncle Katsuya's close friend."

"Hatsuka? Are you sure that uncle Katsuya is the head of the yakuza?"

"Well, he is."

"Isn't that being a yakuza is kind of...illegal?"

Hatsuka simply smiled and she pats his shoulder twice. 

"My granny worked for his family and I grew up with Satoshi. So, I know them better. Illegal or not, it's his business and it's better to not get involved with his activity. Besides, uncle Katsuya had been helping your father and your grandfather, right?"

"...I guess you are right. He's my father's good friend after all. Anyway, is Satoshi often being so cold to everyone? I mean, he looked like he doesn't have friends."

"It's not like he doesn't have friends. He refuses to befriend with anyone."

"Huh? Why?"

"He has trust issues when he was young. Since he's from a powerful family, he met a lot of people who often came over to his house. The only people he could trust was his parents, my granny and me."

"I think I can imagine that. He must be feeling uncomfortable with lots of people around him."

"Wow," Hatsuka grinned. "You hardly talked to him and you could understand his feelings."

"I-I just imagine it, that's all!" Ietsuna quickly replied. "I think we should go now or I won't be able to buy anything from the market."

"You are right. Want me to accompany you?"

"Aren't you tired after attending the meeting?"

"I'm fine! At least I need to buy something for granny."

"Alright."

* * *

"Good evening, Ietsuna! Same as usual?"

"Yes, the usual."

A woman in her late forties was packing different types of vegetables from her stall and she placed it aside to see if the blond boy needed something else. 

"Anything else?"

"Uh, I don't know what else to cook. I'm worried that my father would be afraid to eat the same dish all over again."

"Don't fret about it, Ietsuna. As long as your father loves your cooking, he would not be afraid of eating the same dish many times. Look at my children. They would never complain about the food I made for them."

"Never complain?" a fishmonger about her age scoffed at her comment. "I heard that your son often whining about eating the same dish every day. They hardly had any meat in your so-called healthy dishes."

"E-excuse me??" the woman snapped. "I'm just trying to make sure that my family eat healthy food! Eating too much meat is no good for them!"

"Bah, no wonder they are so skinny!" the fishmonger retorted and he turned to look at Ietsuna. "Are you done with her fresh vegetables? Come here, I have some good fishes here!"

"Hey, don't you dare to steal my customer, old man! Where's that loyal customer of yours? The one who dislikes western foods in his household??"

"He's busy at the moment," the fishmonger sneered. " You miss him, right?"

"Why you-!"

"Ah, I know what to cook!" 

Ietsuna smiled brightly and he went to the fishmonger stall to buy some fishes. 

"Hello, young man! What do you want to buy?"

"I want some of these. Oh, do you sell eels?"

"Of course I have! What are you going to cook?"

"I'm going to make unagi donburi," Ietsuna replied. "Steamed rice topped with grilled eel fillets that are glazed with a sweetened soy-based sauce and caramelized, preferably over a charcoal fire."

"That sounds delicious," the woman commented.

"Yes, it's my father's favourite food," Ietsuna added. "You should give it a try, madam. If you make this dish, your children will love it. Eating only vegetables without any meat is also not good for them."

"You know what?" the fishmonger spoke out. "People would hardly believe that a child like you know how to cook better than anyone."

"At first, I learn to cook to ease the burden of someone who had been taking care of me and my father. The more I cook, the more I realised that it helps me create time for hanging out with family and friends, having fun, and making memories that I will keep for the rest of my life."

The fishmonger was amazed by his words. It was rare for him to hear it from a teenage boy who grew up with only one parent. He packed the fishes for him and eventually gave another extra eel for Ietsuna. 

"Here you go, young man. I've written the price here and this one extra eel is free."

"Huh?? I can't possibly accept it for free-!"

"Just take it!" the fishmonger laughed. "Use this eel and make the best unagi donburi for your beloved father!"

"...thank you so much, mister," Ietsuna smiled. 

"Hey, can I buy some eels from you?" the woman asked. 

"Sure," the fishmonger smirked. "Why? Did you change your mind?"

Both of them were arguing again and Ietsuna simply laughed at them. Hatsuka was done buying the things for her grandmother before she and Ietsuna head back to their house together. 

"You're going to make unagi donburi for your father?" Hatsuka asked.

"Yes. I just remembered that it was his favourite food when he was about my age," Ietsuna answered. "He never had the chance to eat again when the war happened."

"Oh, that reminds me? Where do your father and his family live before coming to this district?"

"Uh, my father once mentioned it before. It's somewhere in Yamanashi Prefecture before the earthquake happened. At least my father told me his home was once at a place where he could see a beautiful rice paddy field. That was where my great-grandfather had created the family name Sawada (沢田)."

"Sawada? Let me think," Hatsuka raised her eyebrows. "As in rice paddy in the swamp?"

"That's right," Ietsuna nodded. "My father told me it was a beautiful scene and I wished that I could see it. Too bad, the earthquake already destroyed everything."

"Your great-grandfather must be an amazing person. Your father often talked about him."

"My great-grandfather loves his family. Every single time my father talks about him, I could imagine how close they were. I never met him but I inherited his golden blond hair. Speaking of that..."

"What is it, Ietsuna?"

"Sometimes, I caught my father suffering a bad dream. Or a nightmare. So bad that he nearly cried in his dream. I even heard him muttering. He often says 'I'm sorry, grandpa...'." 

"Maybe the work stressed him a lot. Even so, why would he want to say sorry to his grandpa? Did you try asking him about it?"

"I did but he refused to tell me. He said it does not matter for now."

"I'm not sure about it. Anyway, you need to tell your father to get more rest, Ietsuna. My granny has been worrying about him since he worked too hard after your mother died."

"You're right. If my grandpa is still alive, he would drag him to the room and force him to get more rest."

They reached their houses and Hatsuka waved her hand to say goodbye to Ietsuna. He did the same before he went into his house to prepare the dinner. 

The first thing he saw was a photo of his grandfather and his great-grandfather on the side table in the living hall. He smiled before he greeted. 

"I'm home, grandpa, great-grandpa."

* * *

"I'm so excited about today!"

Sakaguchi Kuro was stretching his body to do some warm-up. The boys from Ietsuna's classroom were having a PE lesson at the baseball field. In their previous PE lesson, they along with the girls had to run in the school field for a few rounds. Their PE teacher was planning to teach them how to play baseball. 

"I don't think I can swing a baseball bat. Let alone throwing a ball," Ietsuna sighed.

"You're not the only one, Sawada," Sakaguchi grinned. "Our PE teacher is teaching us how to play. Who knows if he might pick any of us to join the school baseball team."

"Sakaguchi, you want to play baseball?"

"Of course, it's been my dream ever since I was young!" he yelled excitedly. "I've always told my parents to get me a baseball bat so that I could play but they don't want to! This time, I will prove to them that I will be the best baseball player in school!"

"Ha! In your dreams!"

Both Ietsuna and Sakaguchi turned around and they saw a bespectacled boy about their age crossing his arms against his chest and he had a smug look on his face. 

"Sports are useless. You should have spent more time doing revisions for the upcoming tests."

"Upcoming tests?" Ietsuna raised his eyebrow. "I don't think we will have it in the closest time-"

"That's where you are wrong, Sawada Ietsuna!" the bespectacled boy snapped and he pointed his finger at him. "Exam is the most important thing and it will always appear! No matter they are near or far, you have to be ready for them!"

"Here we go again," Sakaguchi let out a loud sigh. "Dohachiro Goro with his beloved exams again. Why do you need to work extra hard for this kind of small exam?"

"Important or not, this will determine your future!" the boy named Dohachiro Goro snapped again. "I hate to see someone like you who received the lowest scores in all the exams!"

"So what? I'm not the only one who gets the lowest scores," Sakaguchi shrugged his shoulders. "Try not to speak highly about yourself, Dohachiro. Sawada scores better than you in the previous exam."

"Hey, Sakaguchi. You don't have to say that out-"

"I-I'm aware of that!" Dohachiro's face turned red and he frowned. "I don't like someone who does not put much effort into studying for exams and yet, they scored higher!"

"You're being ridiculous," Sakaguchi replied. "Just admit that you are jealous."

"I'm not-!"

"Alright, stop arguing already!" their class monitor named Tamashiro Naoki joined and he tried to stop Dohachiro. "Our PE teacher is coming and please get back to your positions."

The bespectacled boy gave his dislike look as he walked away. Sakaguchi and Ietsuna sighed, feeling relieved that Tamashiro managed to stop him from talking nonsense. 

"You're our lifesaver, Tamashiro," said Ietsuna. "Or else he would continue to brag about his beloved exams."

"I admit that I agree with him," the class monitor spoke. "Exams are important but seeing him trying to look down on someone, I need to do something. Now, let's get back to the positions. Our PE teacher is quite impatient."

The lesson started and the boys began to learn about the baseball game. After they knew some theory and basics, their PE teacher had them trying to play it out. The boys took their turn as different players until it was Sakaguchi, Ietsuna and Dohachiro's turn. 

Sakaguchi would be the pitcher, Dohachiro would be the batter and Ietsuna would be the catcher.

As their PE teacher blew the whistle, Sakaguchi gave his best to throw the ball for anyone to catch or hit. As Dohachiro was bad at hitting, Ietsuna had been catching the ball perfectly (much to his surprise).

The bespectacled boy grew angry and he did not want anyone to laugh at him. 

Sakaguchi threw the ball with full energy and Dohachiro was trying to hit it. The ball was coming to him way too fast and he could not hit it. He simply fell onto the ground, pretending that he had sprained his ankle. 

Because of his sudden action, Ietsuna was distracted. The ball hit straight to his face and he yelled with pain.

"S-Sawada! Are you alright?!"

Sakaguchi quickly came to him and he saw some blood dripping from his nose. Ietsuna was feeling dizzy and before he could say anything, he went unconscious. 


	12. mother

He did not know when was the last time he got injured. All he knew that this was the worst injury he ever had. He had been unconscious for quite long that he had missed his two lessons after the PE lesson. 

In his sleep, he did not see anyone. He saw nothing but darkness. He felt nervous as he looked around before he tried to walk forward. On his third step, he found himself standing at the hill. On top of the hill, he could see someone sitting under the large tree. He continued to walk towards the tree and later, he saw a man with a black cape sitting under a large tree, playing with some cats. 

It was the same man who told his grandfather to find more treasure in the mountain. A dream he had when he was young. 

Ietsuna was standing behind him, so he could not see how the man looked like. He slowly approached that man and he wanted to try to say hello to him. 

His hand was about to touch the man's shoulder. If the man turned around, he would be able to see his face-

"How many times do I need to remind all of you?? No visitors in the infirmary!!" 

The woman's loud voice caused Ietsuna to wake up in sudden. He blinked his eyes hard and he could still feel a little pain from his head and his nose. It was a strong hit but thankfully, it was not enough to break his nose.

If that happened, how would he explain to his father?

"But, doctor, we just want to know if he suffers a serious injury-"

"If his nose is broken, then I might as well call an ambulance to bring him to the hospital. Now, get back to your classroom or I'll make a report to your homeroom teacher!"

He heard the students leaving the infirmary and he tried to sit from the bed. 

"You finally awake?"

Ietsuna looked up and he saw a woman in her forties. She had brown hair bun and she was seen wearing a white coat, white dress shirt and black pants. She had a stern look on her face and she hardly smiled.

"How do you feel right now?" the woman asked again and Ietsuna realised that he did not answer her question earlier. 

"S-sorry, doctor. I...I didn't mean to be so rude-"

"Forget it. I'm asking about your condition."

"...uh, my head is a little dizzy, and when I tried to scrunch up my nose, it feels painful..."

"Of course it's painful if you scrunch it up like that!" the doctor scolded and she let out a sigh. "You are lucky that you don't have a broken nose. I'm going to apply some ointment and place the bandage on your nose-"

"N-no, please don't do that!" Ietsuna quickly interrupted. "Please don't put the bandage on my nose!"

"I'm not trying to harm you, young man. What is wrong with the bandage??"

"I...I don't want to let my father know about my injury."

"Why you don't want to let him know?"

"...I don't want him to worry about me. And, I...I don't want him to find out who hurt me."

"It's just an accident and it can happen to anyone-"

"Accident or not, my father would find out who did it to me."

"...What is your name, young man?"

"I'm...Sawada Ietsuna."

"Sawada, huh? No wonder you don't want to let him know."

"Uh, what?"

"Nothing," the doctor took out some pills from the medicine cabinet and she gave it to Ietsuna. "These pills are painkillers. Only eat it if you can't stand the pain you are suffering."

"...thank you so much, doctor."

"If you can stand, you may return to your classroom unless you are planning to skip more lessons."

Ietsuna stood up and he bowed before leaving the infirmary. The doctor simply watched him from far and she let out a small sigh, shaking her head. 

"I told you before, Sawada Yoshinobu. You will never change."

* * *

"I'm so sorry, Sawada! It's my fault that you got hurt!"

Sakaguchi bowed repeatedly and Ietsuna had to stop him from apologising all over again. Some girls in his classroom and from other classroom were worried as soon as they heard that their prince charming was injured and they nearly wanted to murder Sakaguchi for hurting Ietsuna. 

"Our homeroom teacher told us that it was an accident," Aratani unwrapped her lunch box before eating. "Sawada is not the only student to get hit by a ball. Some students got injured badly and some died hours ago."

"H-Hasegawa! Stop freaking me out!" Sakaguchi stammered. "I don't intend to hurt Sawada-!"

"I know. Everybody knows. As long as Sawada is safe and alive, then you don't need to worry anymore," Aratani took a bite of her meal. "Even so, Sawada should have been able to catch the ball, right?"

"I could but I was distracted," Ietsuna took out his lunch box. "Dohachiro suddenly fell on the ground and I thought he was hurt. The ball then hit my face-"

"Hey! It's not my fault!"

The three of them were looking at the bespectacled boy who was seen reading his textbook and eating his bread at the same time. 

"It's not my fault that you got hurt, Sawada!"

"I didn't say that it was your fault," Ietsuna replied.

"He's right. We didn't say anything about you," Aratani added.

"T-then why are you saying as if I'm the cause of it?"

"You should dig your ears next time, Dohachiro!" Sakaguchi snapped. "Sawada is only describing the accident, not putting all the blame to you!"

"I...I just want to defend myself!"

"Yeah right," Sakaguchi rolled his eyes. "You are too afraid to hit the ball, that's why you want to run away instead of hitting it."

Dohachiro wanted to reply but no words coming out from his mouth. He used his textbook to avoid him from looking at them. The three of them decided to continue eating their lunch, ignoring him.

"Honestly, if he didn't fall like that, you would be able to catch the ball," Sakaguchi muttered. 

"Come on, let's forget about it. The doctor says that I don't have a broken nose. If I do, my father would go mad after seeing my condition."

"That's a normal reaction for every protective parent," Aratani added. "My father once tried to slaughter a drunken man with his cleaver for trying to kiss my cheek when I was young."

Ietsuna and Sakaguchi went silent for a few minutes after hearing Aratani's story. 

"The police quickly arrested that drunken man before my father killed him."

"I am about to ask you what happened next," Sakaguchi sighed.

"...I thought I'm the worse," Ietsuna explained. "The boys bullied me when I was in elementary school, and my father locked my classmates in the classroom, forcing them to apologise to me."

"Really?" Sakaguchi's eyes widened with shock.

"Yes, and because of that, I don't want to let my father know about my injury. I told the nurse to not place the bandage on my nose."

"I see. You know, our school doctor is pretty mean."

"Mean?"

"Tamashiro and I were taking you to the school infirmary and the doctor kept on yelling at us to leave while she was tending your injury. She doesn't necessarily have to yell at us if she wants to do the job in peace."

"Some seniors complained about that doctor," said Aratani. "She doesn't like anyone to question about her work and she always thinks that she's the best doctor in the world. Some students and parents wanted the principal to find another school doctor but he said there's no other doctor better than her. I heard that she was graduated from a famous medical school in another country-"

"Oh, are you talking about doctor Takahashi Ryoko??"

Dohachiro's eyes were sparkling with interest and the three of them were wondering why he was giving his amazed look. 

"I'm so surprised that you know our school doctor's name," Sakaguchi said curiously.

"How could you not know her name??" Dohachiro adjusted his spectacles. "Doctor Takahashi Ryoko is one of the top students from a famous medical school in the USA. I've read all her thesis and it's the best material I've seen! That's why I've decided to be a doctor like her one day!"

"No wonder you badly wanted to follow us to the infirmary," said Sakaguchi. "I thought you were worried about Sawada but it turns out that you just want to meet your idol."

"If she's that famous, why is she working as a school doctor?" Aratani asked curiously. "She should be working in the hospital or at least open a clinic."

"Who cares about her?" Sakaguchi groaned. "She's just proud of her achievement. It makes sense if she's Dohachiro's mother since both have the same attitude."

"Hahaha, I wish she's my mother!" the bespectacled boy laughed. "She's so much better than my mother anyway."

"...Dohachiro, why would you say that?" Ietsuna asked with his serious tone. 

"My mother is nothing like doctor Takahashi. She only knows how to cook, sweeping the floor, washing the dishes- everything that a normal housewife would do."

"...you are saying that you are not happy with your mother? Is she really that bad?"

"Having a smart woman in a family sounds better than having a woman who only knows nothing but cleaning," Dohachiro stood up from his seat and he left the classroom.

Sakaguchi felt annoyed with that boy's attitude but Aratani seemed to notice Ietsuna's glum look.

"Hey, Sawada. Are you alright?"

"...oh, I...I'm fine," Ietsuna stood up from his seat. "I need to go to the washroom. My nose is still itching at the moment."

"Want me to follow you?" Sakaguchi asked. 

"No, I'll be quick."

He left the classroom and he was on his way to the washroom. However, he was not planning to go to the washroom. He took another way and he continued walking without knowing where he wanted to go. 

Why would someone need to be so ungrateful? A mother who loved her family was good enough, what else they wanted from their mother?

He sat on the bench and he realised that he was in the school garden. He gently touched his nose and he flinched a little. It was still painful but not as bad as when he got hit with the ball. 

He remembered his nose was bleeding. There was a lot of blood dripping on his shirt before he went unconscious. 

His father would be furious if he knew who was the one hurt his son. 

If his mother was alive, what would be her reaction if she saw his bloody nose?

"What are you doing here?"

Ietsuna snapped from his own thought and he saw a boy with messy brown hair. Satoshi's deadly eyes did scare him for a second and he quickly apologised to him. 

"S-sorry, I just want to take fresh air, so I-"

"I'm not a student council member, why do you need to apologise to me?"

"I...I don't know. Maybe you do act like one of them?"

Satoshi did not reply and he went on to sit beside Ietsuna. They were not talking and he felt more awkward. It would be rude if he just stood up and walked away. Maybe he could try to befriend him. 

"I heard that you are Hatsuka's childhood friend, right? She told me a lot of things about you."

"Really?"

"Yes, and after hearing that, I could hardly believe that you're from...from a famous family."

"...Hatsuka did tell me a lot about you. Your name is Sawada Ietsuna, right?"

"Uh, yes. That's my name. And you are uncle Katsuya's son-"

Satoshi was glaring at him once he heard Katsuya's name. Ietsuna immediately went silent as soon as he saw his scary eyes. 

"If...if I offended you, I...I'm sorry."

"...the lunch break is almost over. You need to return to your classroom."

He stood up and when he was about to leave the garden, Ietsuna quickly called out for him.

"S-Satoshi! Can I ask you something??"

"What is it?"

"How does your mother looks like? I mean, is she a kind woman? Or is there something you don't like about her?"

He turned around and he raised his eyebrows, wondering why he would be asking this strange question. 

"...I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have asked-"

"If you disliked your mother due to her imperfection, even a little, then you don't deserve to get her love."

Ietsuna was looking at him and he could see the softer gaze coming from the other's eyes. 

"To me, she's the best in the world. I wouldn't be here if it's not because of her."

"...Satoshi, you're not telling me that..."

"...She died when I was young."


	13. plan

_**"Katsuya? Why are you standing in front of the Literature Club's room?"** _

_**"Oh, I...I just want to meet someone..."** _

**_"Who do you want to meet? Wait, you want to see Reiko?"_ **

**_"N-no, I'm not! Don't look at me like that, Shin! I'm not going to steal your girlfriend!"_ **

_**"Then, who do you want to meet?"** _

**_"Well, I...you know, that prettiest girl in the school. The transfer student with soft brown hair-"_ **

_**"You are looking for Imamura Amaya?** _

_**"Yes! That's her!"** _

**_"I can't believe that you would easily fell in love with a girl."_ **

**_"I can't help it, Shin. Almost all the boys fell in love with her because she's pretty but to me, there's something special about her. If only I could..."_ **

**_"Wait for a second, Katsuya."_ **

_**"Huh?"** _

**_"Reiko! Can I talk to you for a while?"_ **

**_"Yes, what's the matter, Shin?"_ **

**_"Sorry for disturbing. Is Imamura Amaya in your club room?"_ **

**_"Oh, she's here. Do you want to see her?"_ **

**_"Not me. Katsuya is the one who wanted to see her."_ **

**_"S-Shin!! What the-!"_ **

Yoshinobu laughed a little as he reminiscing about his high school years. He was done with his work and he was ready to leave the office. The other staff were packing their things as well when the clock struck five in the evening. 

He stood up from his seat and left the office with everyone else. Though it was only a walking distance from his office to his house, it took him twenty minutes for him to reach home. Some of his colleagues already reached their houses and they were in time to have their dinner. 

His neighbour, Mrs Tanaka had been helping him to cook and clean his house while he was away for work and back then, Ietsuna was still young. He felt bad for having an elderly woman to help him when she had two granddaughters to take care of. He once thought of finding someone else to babysit his son but he would not dare to take a risk of exposing his family's true identity.

Especially after his father was caught by the Italian mafia members. 

As soon as Ietsuna reached at the age of nine, he wanted Mrs Tanaka to teach him how to cook so that she could rest more. He was once against it as he was worried about his safety.

He could not possibly let his nine-year-old child touch the stove or using the sharp knives just to cut some vegetables or meat. What if he hurt himself? He was angered when he heard the boys had been bullying his son at the school. 

No one would ever hurt his only child-

_**"Shin. Sometimes, being a good father, you don't need to be overprotective. If you continued to do so, Ietsuna will feel suffocated and he will not be able to grow up."** _

Was he being overprotective towards Ietsuna? Even so, he had to. If anything happened to Ietsuna, he could not forgive himself. 

He tried not to repeat the same mistake he had done to his grandfather-

"Oof!!"

A random child suddenly fell in front of Yoshinobu. The child was wincing in pain and he was about to cry. Yoshinobu was about to help the child to stand up when he heard someone else calling out for the child. 

"Yuuki, you ought to stand up on your own!"

The child clenched his jaw as he was still in pain. However, he listened to his father's words as he tried to stand up. Yoshinobu could see some bruises at the child's knees and arms but the child still did not burst out crying. 

The child managed to stand up on his own and he wiped away his tears.

"Father, I did it! I'm a big boy now!"

The child beamed and he ran to his father. Yoshinobu was glad to see the child was safe. 

At the same time, he did go through the same as the child did. 

**_"Sawada Yoshinobu! You better stand on your own feet! No complaining about your pain!"_ **

His late mother, Sayuri was shouting at him. He was the one who requested his mother to teach him martial arts so that he could be as strong as her. She was quite brutal when she taught him. She did not show any mercy when she was teaching her son how to fight. 

**_"Uh, Sayuri, I think you've gone too far-"_ **

**_"Yoshi, you are not allowed to help him!"_ **

_**"But, he-"** _

**_"If he keeps on complaining about little thing, he will never advance!"_ **

He was in pain. He almost wanted to give up. If he did, he would be a loser for the rest of his life. If he wanted to be strong, he needed to endure the pain and try defeating his mother. He took some time to stand up and he was ready to fight against his mother. Sayuri was glaring at him though she was impressed with her son's determination. 

He successfully defeated Sayuri and he was happy with his achievement. He still had bruises all over his body but he ignored it. After the tough training, he wanted to get some rest. He walked past his grandfather's room when he heard a conversation between his grandfather and his mother. 

**_"Yoshimune told everything to me. You are pretty harsh to Yoshinobu."_ **

**_"...I have to. If not, he will not grow up to be a real man."_ **

**_"Be honest with me, Sayuri. You don't want to hurt him in the first place, right?"_ **

**_"...w-what makes you think like that, father?"_ **

**_"Your eyes are swollen. You are crying after Yoshinobu finally defeating you. It's not because he defeated you. You cry because you have to hurt your beloved child just to make him strong."_ **

**_"...father! I-It's not like that...!"_ **

Yoshinobu realised that his mother deeply loved him. She would do anything to protect her son. 

He was protecting Ietsuna but he did it in a wrong way. He felt like he was keeping him in a cage so that he would not get hurt. 

He was placing his son in a vulnerable position. If he was not around someday, who would be the one to protect Ietsuna?

* * *

"What? Your nose was injured??" Hatsuka gave an astounding look.

"Y-yes, but I'm fine for now," Ietsuna answered. "Thankfully, my nose bone is safe or I have no idea how to explain to my father."

"It's an accident, Ietsuna. Almost every student got hit with either a ball or the baseball bat. Though I might say getting hit by a bat is much more painful."

"You got hit with it?"

"Yes but it's not the baseball bat. I got hit at the side of my face with a lacrosse stick. It happened when I was in elementary school."

"...At least you're safe."

"My granny freaked out when she saw a small bruise on my face and I told her I'm fine. Oh, we still need to wait for my sister. Her meeting is about to end."

"Alright, we'll wait for her."

Hatsuka and Ietsuna were about to enter the high school area when they heard someone screaming in pain. Fearing that someone might be in trouble, Ietsuna tried to walk around to locate the voice until he nearly reached the school's workshop block. He and Hatsuka hid as they saw some older students kicking and punching someone on the ground. 

A group of senior students were seen harassing another student who looked younger than them. The seniors were laughing at the helpless junior and one of them simply took the wallet from his pocket. 

"This is what happens if you don't pay the protection fee in time, kid."

"Our boss is impatient, so you better remember to pay on time."

Hatsuka frowned and she was about to confront them when Ietsuna quickly grabbed her arm. 

"What are you trying to do?"

"Confronting them. There's no way I will just stand and watch the poor boy being beaten up by the senior students."

"You don't have a chance to go against them. They will hurt you more than they did to that boy."

"I'm not afraid of them, Ietsuna. I won't let these people do whatever they like. You're not telling me that we should just ignore it?"

"...I want to help that boy, Hatsuka. I do. But, without knowing any self-defence skills, we were looking for nothing but trouble and death. If we are not careful, we will become their next target."

"...then, what should we do?"

Ietsuna could see the disappointed look on her face and he felt the same way as she did. He hated to see the bullies hurting the younger student and he badly wanted to save him. 

"Listen to me, Hatsuka. I will distract the seniors' attention. I'm going to make sure that the seniors will chase me. Once they were gone, you need to bring that boy to the school infirmary and tell Hanako about the school bullies. Also, if Hanako wanted you to identify the bullies, make sure that no one knows you are reporting it."

"What? Are you sure you can distract them?? I mean, I don't want you to get hurt or your father might be worried-"

"I'm not going to fight with them. I know what to do."

Ietsuna took out a brown paper bag from his school bag and tear two holes from it before he put it on his head. He gave his school bag to Hatsuka and he picked up some stones and pebbles on the ground. 

He slowly came out from his hiding spot and as he found a perfect spot, he threw the stones and pebbles straight to the seniors' heads. They were yelling with pain and all of them turned to look at the masked boy. 

Ietsuna gulped nervously. Their looks were fierce and menacing. Even his fingers went cold after looking at them. 

"What do you think you're doing, kid?" the first senior growled and he was tightening his fists. 

"Do you want to be our next punching bag, huh?" the second senior clenched his jaw and he was cracking his knuckles. 

He did not talk for a few minutes. He had no idea what he was supposed to say to them and the only thing that came into his mind was running away-

No, he made a word that he would try to save the boy. Hatsuka was waiting for him to bring the seniors to another place while she would take him to the infirmary. 

He could not waste more time. His father was coming home soon enough. 

"...you...all of you, are nothing but a bunch of losers!" Ietsuna shouted and he pointed his fingers to the seniors. "Picking on someone weaker than you?? Pity, you don't deserve to be human! Even animals are better than all of you!"

"ENOUGH TALK, YOU LITTLE SH*T!!" the third senior bellowed with anger and he took a piece of wood on the ground. "Everyone!! Grab your weapons and kill this arrogant brat!!"

Without waiting for the seniors to pick up something on the ground to hit him, Ietsuna quickly ran away from them and he was rather thankful that he could run faster than those seniors. 

He was making sure that the paper bag would not fly out from his head or the seniors would know who was he. Especially that he had a blond hair and he was the only student who had it. 

He arrived at the dog pound and he went inside, hiding at one spot to avoid the seniors from catching him. The dogs suddenly surrounded him and they wagged their tails happily. 

"S-sorry, everyone..." Ietsuna muttered to the dogs and he patted their heads. "I can't play with all of you. I'm being chased by a group of bad people..."

Some dogs were giving their sad look and some larger dogs were growling as if they were demanding to know who tried to hurt their friend. 

Ietsuna soon remembered something and he was grinning. He looked at the dogs as he talked. 

"Hey, those people are here to steal your food. Do you want to teach them a lesson?"

The dogs barked at once and he assumed that they were saying yes. 

He came out from his hiding spot and he stood further in the dog pound area. The seniors saw him and they were smirking, thinking that he had nowhere to hide. 

They were running towards him until they suddenly fell into a deep hole. So deep that they were unable to climb out from the hole. Ietsuna gave a muffled laugh as he looked at them. 

"Losers fell into a trap. Don't worry. These cute little puppies will accompany you until someone else come to rescue you."

The large dogs surrounded the hole and they were growling fiercely. The seniors were screaming for help but Ietsuna paid no attention to them. He closed the gate, removing the paper bag from his head and he was walking back to the school to see Hatsuka and the boy. 

He was already late. How would he explain to his father? 


	14. incident

"Doctor, is he alright?"

Hatsuka asked with worry as she was looking at the injured boy. She managed to bring the boy to the high school's infirmary and she was glad that the doctor was still around. The trainee doctor named Sugawara Ichika was writing down some notes on her notebook and she too was concerned about the injuries the boy had suffered. 

"I already tend his wounds but he needs to go to the hospital for further treatment," doctor Sugawara explained and she gently touched the boy's head. "Poor thing. It was only his first year in high school and he already became the bully's victim."

"Doctor, is there any other students becoming the bully's victim lately?" Hatsuka asked again. 

"Well, after the gang fight incident two years ago, the principals from both junior and senior high schools decided to create a new school law to stop and prevent bullying," the doctor answered with her grim look. "There's no report on bullying lately after the new law was created. Until now."

"You are saying that this boy is now the first victim?"

"I'm afraid yes. This will cause more distress to the principals from both schools as they had tried their best to not let that incident to happen once again."

Hanako slides the infirmary door open and she came in with her troubled look. 

"I've talked to the president of the student council and he nearly had a heart attack after hearing this news. He's now reporting this matter to the principal and I told him to not mention my sister's name or else those bullies might find her."

"Great. I hope that this boy would be the first and the last victim," the doctor sighed as she stood up. "I'm going to the principal's office to tell him about the boy's injury. Both of you should return home as fast as possible or your guardian might worry."

Hatsuka and Hanako nodded their head once and the doctor left the infirmary. Moments later, the door slides open again and Ietsuna came in with his exhausted look. 

"Ietsuna! Are you alright?? Did those bullies hurt you??" Hatsuka asked with her worried look. 

"I'm alright," he smiled. "I brought them to the dog pound area and they fell into the hole when they tried to catch me."

"Wait, isn't that place you often go to feed the dogs?" said Hatsuka.

"Yes, that's the place. When those bullies from my elementary school were chasing me, I went there to hide. There were a lot of puppies and they looked hungry. So I have been bringing the leftover foods to feed them."

"No wonder granny was asking why you want all the leftover foods after dinner. But still, how on earth they fell into a hole?" Hanako asked curiously. "Didn't they see it while chasing you?"

"I...I remembered that I made a hidden trap in the dog pound area. I saw a large hole and I thought of making a trap. So I took all the unused cardboard, pieces of woods and some cloth to cover the hole. I never knew it had been left untouched after I covered it." 

"Wouldn't they know who you are?" Hanako asked again. 

"I used a paper bag as my mask. They won't know who I am," Ietsuna replied. "I warned Hatsuka not to let anyone that she's the one reported about the bullies."

"Even if you didn't tell her, I would not let anyone know that my sister reported it," Hanako crossed her arms against her chest. "Let this be the last for both of you. These bullies may be pretty dumb but I don't want both of you to end up meeting the worst. You won't be lucky next time."

"Big sister, I can't let these people do whatever they want-"

"You are not a police officer, Hatsuka. You are no match against them. If anything happens to you, how am I going to explain to our parents?"

Hatsuka lowered her head and she did not say anything. 

"Ietsuna, you need to take good care of yourself. Don't ever try to fight against the bullies. Your father doesn't want you to get hurt."

"...I know. Can I ask you something, Hanako?"

"What is it?"

"I heard rumours about the gang fight two years ago. You were around when it happened, right?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"Was it serious? I heard that the principal tried to hide it from the public for he feared that this incident might tarnish the school name. Some said that his son was involved too."

"I want to know it too," Hatsuka spoke out. "I tried to ask the student council members about it but they refused to tell me."

Hanako was reluctant to tell them about that incident and she wanted to tell them to go home instead of listening to the story. 

"...Fine, I'll tell. I only know some bits of it since I don't want to get involved with this kind of stuff. Just don't tell anyone about it."

"We won't tell," said Ietsuna. 

"I was only sixteen and it was my first year in high school. While I was choosing the club that I wanted to join, several older boys were distributing the papers to the first-year high school students. Some of them threw the paper in the dustbin and it was an offer to join the boxing club."

"There was a boxing club?" Hatsuka asked. 

"Yes, and it was banned in both junior and senior high school after the gang fight incident," Hanako replied. 

"It was only a boxing club. What does it have to do with the gang fight?" Ietsuna asked curiously.

"It does. The boxing club was used to recruit new members to join a gangster group."

"Gangster group??" Hatsuka gasped with shock. "Why the teachers did not know about it earlier?"

"The boxing club was just a mask and it's easier for the older students to recruit the new members," Hanako answered again. "As the boxing club hardly had new members for many years, the older students took this advantage, simply telling the teachers that they promised to train the new members to be the best boxer in the school."

"The teachers believed them. Shouldn't they realised sooner that they were only using the boxing club for their own purpose?" Ietsuna commented. 

"No one knows about their activity in the boxing club. Most of us assumed that they were doing their job to teach and train the new members about boxing. We only knew it when the police caught almost all the teenagers who were involved in a gang fight that night. Some escaped. Most of them were injured. And one died."

"One died?" 

"Yes. The junior high school's principal's son died after he failed to regain his consciousness in the hospital." 

Ietsuna and Hatsuka did not say anything for a while as they could feel the tension surrounding the infirmary. 

"Both the principals managed to hide it from the public and soon creating some new school laws to prevent that incident from happening again. The school authorities were gathering some information from the victims. The principal's son was eager to join the boxing club because he wanted to be a professional boxer. We can never know the whole truth after he died. Some student council members were expelled after the teachers found out that they had been bribed by those students to keep their mouth shut."

"...it's no wonder no one wanted to talk about it," Ietsuna muttered.

"Alright, I'm done talking- Gosh! We're late already??"

Hanako ran out from the infirmary to get her school bag while Hatsuka turned to look at Ietsuna. 

"I think you better return home fast. Your father is getting worried now."

"I know and we should go home together."

"My sister and I are fine-"

"It's late and it's dangerous for girls to walk in the dark. At least let me accompany both of you home for the sake of your safety."

"I don't know if you are looking down on girls-"

"I'm not looking down on both of you just because you are girls!" Ietsuna snapped. "Other people think that girls are weak but not me! I just want to protect both of you!" 

Hatsuka's eyes widened with shock and Ietsuna immediately stopped talking. He covered his face with his hands and after realising what he had done. 

"...I...I'm sorry. I...I didn't mean to shout at you...I'm really sorry..." he muffled. "Maybe you can forget what I'm saying...you can yell back at me if you want..."

"...Why would I?"

He blinked his eyes and he slowly removed his hands away from his face and Hatsuka was smiling widely to him. She placed her hands on his shoulder and she was grinning. 

"I love your sincerity, Ietsuna. Your expression says it all after what you've said."

"But, I suddenly snapped in front of you. I didn't mean to-"

She lightly pinched his cheek and he flinched a little. 

"A small punishment for yelling at me but it's fine. You are forgiven."

"Really?"

"...Thank you so much for showing some concern for me and my sister, Ietsuna. I appreciate it."

"...so, we will go home together?"

"Yes. My sister and I will explain to your father about your lateness once we reach home."

"Alright, thanks." 

* * *

Ietsuna was done taking his bath and he took a brush to remove the dog furs from his black uniform before he tossed it in the laundry basket. As he was coming home late, he was planning to reheat the leftover food when his father came to the kitchen. 

Yoshinobu mentioned that there was an oden stall near their house and suggested that they could have dinner there. Both of them left the house and they soon arrived, sitting on the chairs while the stall owner was adding more ingredients in the hot pot. 

"I thought oden is only eaten during the autumn and winter season," said Ietsuna curiously. 

"You are right about that. Still, the country is in the recovery process after the war and the food shortage problem has been increasing," Yoshinobu stated. "The least we could do is to help them rebuild their lives." 

The stall owner gratefully smiled at him and he placed two bowls of oden on the table. The oden dish contained some ingredients such as boiled egg, daikon (radish), konnyaku (yam cake) and fishcakes stewed in a light, soy-flavoured dashi (fish stock) broth.

Ietsuna took a bite of the food and it was surprisingly flavoursome, especially when the ingredients were simmered in a long time to deepen the flavour. 

"I'm glad that I could get to eat oden earlier. It's delicious."

"Indeed. You don't have to wait until the right season to eat it," Yoshinobu chuckled as he took a bite of the food. 

"Father."

"Yes?"

"When I was confronting those bullies, I did think of running away. Even Aratani laughed at me when I said I would run away. Do you think I'm a coward?"

"At least better than trying to act like a hero, right? I'm impressed with your quick thinking, Ietsuna. Luring those bullies to another place while letting Hatsuka bring the boy to the infirmary." 

"But, Hanako did not want me and Hatsuka to get involved with this stuff again," Ietsuna frowned. "When that boy was screaming in pain, I feel like I wanted to drag him away from them. Or at least tell them to stop. I feel so...powerless."

Yoshinobu saw Ietsuna's expression and he recognised it. The same expression when his grandfather wanted to protect the town and its people before the Vongola was established.

He began to understand what his father had told him after Ietsuna was born.

_**"I have never thought that I would see my father again. Perhaps he's coming back to bring everyone together."** _

_**"What does that mean?"** _

**_"You'll know someday..."_ **

Yoshinobu was silent when he was thinking of his grandfather. Despite the Great Sky had forgiven him, he still could not...

"You are not powerless, Ietsuna. You did the right thing to save that boy."

"I did...the right thing?"

"Your great-grandfather would do the same to help the people. He must be proud of you."

He took a sip of the tea before he continued to speak again. 

"I still won't let you find someone else to teach you martial arts. You already have one."

"Me? Already have one? Wait, you are the one?"

"...yes."

"I thought you don't want me to learn- Wait, you know martial arts?"

"Have you forgotten that your late grandmother was a judo master?" Yoshinobu laughed. "She won't go easy on you if you want her to teach you martial arts." 

"...that's unexpected."

"I will start by teaching you some basic self-defence skills so that you can protect yourself. Are you alright with it?"

"Of course I'm alright with it," Ietsuna smiled. "Thank you so much, father!"

Yoshinobu smiled as well and he gently ruffled his blond hair. 

"You are welcome."


	15. defence

**_"You are saying that a mafia group kidnapped your father after the earthquake happened in your hometown?"_ **

**_"Yes. My friend told me that they were just a lower rank mafia group who came to Japan for a black market business. They thought my father was one of the drug dealers and they wanted to bring him back to Italy for their illegal business. Do you know any mafia group who went to Japan during that time?"_ **

**_"Hm, let me think. Some mafia families indeed went around the country for their business purposes but...I don't understand. Why some of them would go to a far country? Unless..."_ **

**_"Unless?"_ **

**_"No, that can't be. No one knows about this secret except the Vongola members."_ **

**_"What secret is that, miss Daniela?"_ **

**_"Which is why I'm here, Mr Sawada. Since I've found Primo's true descendants, I guess it's about time for me to tell you the secret."_ **

Yoshinobu had been sitting on the couch for quite a long time and he still remembered the secret that Daniela told him years ago. 

It was an unexpected secret. He did not know when it would be the right time for him to do it. 

Because he did not know where to start. Did his father ever tell him anything important before he died?

Yoshimune only told him to take care of Ietsuna and be a good father. What other things he did not tell to Yoshinobu?

**_"You can give this to Ietsuna. Tell him that I have found the treasure..."_ **

Yoshinobu took out the pocket watch from his coat and he was staring at it. The pocket watch was beautifully made with gold and a family crest was carved on top of its cover. The pocket watch was a symbol of friendship with all his grandfather's loyal friends before everything was destroyed.

It was such an important treasure and he could not just simply gave it to a child as a toy. What was his father thinking?

He began to wonder. When was the last time he opened the pocket watch to see his grandfather's photo?

His finger touched the pocket watch's cover as he tried to open it. He heard a click sound and he saw a small roll of paper pasted on top of the glass pocket watch. He raised his eyebrows with curiosity as he carefully removed the paper from the glass before he unrolled the paper to see its content. 

His eyes blinked with surprise. It was a letter. He recognised his father's handwriting. 

_Shin,  
  
I knew that you would not give the pocket watch to your son as a toy the moment you read this letter. I have written a letter to you and I placed it in my precious calligraphy kit. Be sure to read it because it is important.   
  
From your father, Yoshimune_

Yoshinobu let out a small sigh. His father could have just told him rather than writing in a piece of paper and hid it in the pocket watch, waiting for him to read it. What if he did give to Ietsuna? His father was nothing but an unpredictable man. 

Yoshimune seemed to know his son's attitude better than anyone else. 

He was sure that he had kept his father's calligraphy kit in his drawer. It was his father's birthday gift from his grandfather, Ieyasu. As Yoshimune loved the art of Japanese calligraphy, Ieyasu began teaching him to read, write and remember the stroke order. 

Ieyasu even taught Yoshimune how to write some Italian words in calligraphy style. 

Yoshinobu once tried to write in calligraphy but the result was quite bad. He preferred to fight than writing. 

_**"Shin, just give back my brush and learn to fight with your mother. You're going to break it into half."** _

A small smile was formed at his lips. He did nearly break his father's calligraphy brush for not getting the correct stroke order. 

He placed the paper inside the pocket watch and he stood up from the couch, picking up his coat and his bag before he went to his room. He was about to take out the calligraphy kit from his drawer when he heard someone was calling out for his name. He quickly went to the door and opened it to greet someone. 

"Good day, Shin!" Mrs Tanaka greeted with a smile on her face. "Did you just come back from work?"

"Yes, earlier than usual because my boss wants to have an urgent meeting with my manager and his client," Yoshinobu replied. "What brings you here, Mrs Tanaka?"

"Oh, well...I told Hanako to buy some groceries for me and she accidentally bought extra two packets of flour," the elderly woman answered. "I still have lots of them at home and I thought of giving some to you."

"You don't have to give me, Mrs Tanaka. You can keep it for yourself-"

"Nah, just take it," she gave the two packets of flour to him. "Ietsuna will be able to use it when he cooks. Speaking of him, where is he?"

"He'll be back soon. He's on duty to clean the classroom today."

"Ah, I see. Time flies so quickly. I watched him growing up from when he was a baby until now. Looks like he's doing pretty well in school compared to when he was in elementary school."

"He's doing better than before, Mrs Tanaka. Now I realise that I haven't been meeting Katsuya. I wonder how is he."

"He's still busy with his family business. By the way, did I tell you that his younger twin brother has returned from China?"

"His younger twin? You mean Kouichi?"

"Yes. Young master Kouichi had returned from China a week ago because he wants to visit his brothers in Japan."

"I heard that he's married, right?"

"He's married and he has children who are probably years younger than young master Satoshi."

"I see. Katsuya still did not want to remarry until now."

"This proves that he loves his late wife, Shin. You know that."

"Of course I know. If only...Amaya is still alive. It's unfair for her to die tragically."

* * *

"Almost done here!" 

Sakaguchi was arranging the tables and chairs after Ietsuna was done sweeping the floor. Tamashiro was done wiping the windows and he went to the washroom to clean the bucket and the dirty cloth. Aratani was throwing away some rubbish in a larger bin and she was about to carry it to the garbage room when Ietsuna quickly came to her. 

"Wait, Aratani! Let me help you carry the bin."

"I'm fine carrying on my own," Aratani replied. "It's not that heavy."

"That bin is made of steel and it's heavy. Remember the last time when you accidentally drop it at the staircase? It took us time to clean the whole mess," added Sakaguchi.

"He's right," Ietsuna carried the bin from the side. "We'll carry it together." 

"Alright, if you say so-"

"Wait for me!" Sakaguchi called out and he was carrying some stacks of old newspaper. "I'm going to throw all these as well."

The three of them were walking from their classroom to the garbage room. Aratani and Ietsuna were lifting the large bin to throw all the rubbish while Sakaguchi was busy placing the newspaper in the recyclable area. He missed his footing and he accidentally fell onto someone else, causing them to fell and dropped their bin with a loud clunking sound. Ietsuna and Aratani jumped with a shock when they heard the sudden loud noise. 

"S-sorry! I'm so sorry!" 

Sakaguchi quickly apologised and the boy, who was larger than him grabbed his collar with his fierce look. 

"Are you blind?!! he yelled angrily. "Look what you have done to my uniform!!"

"I..I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-!"

"Didn't mean to, huh?? Then let my fist teach you a damn lesson for messing up with me!!"

Ietsuna ran to them and he grabbed the boy's fist before he could try to punch Sakaguchi. 

"He's already apologising for his mistake. There's no need to punch him for that," he said to the boy. 

"Oh, really? If saying sorry can solve the problem, then the police should have retired from their job!"

"Violence will not solve the problem. You are just causing more trouble."

"I don't need to hear your sh*tty lecture!!" the boy shoved Sakaguchi away and he was cracking his knuckles, slowly approaching Ietsuna. "Looks like you want to be your friend's scapegoat. Don't worry. You will be my favourite punching bag!"

"Sawada!" Sakaguchi shouted with worry. "Run before he punches you!" 

The boy was not letting him escape easily as he tried to punch his face. It was impossible to avoid those punches but Ietsuna could dodge all of them without getting hurt. 

Sakaguchi was giving his unbelievable look and he was sure that he was not dreaming. A normal person would not be able to avoid it but Ietsuna could do it. What on earth was happening?

"Huh...you're good. No one can ever avoid my punches..." they boy sneered and he was panting a little. "Let's see if you can avoid this!"

The boy did not give him a chance to react as he turned his body around before landing the ball of his foot on Ietsuna. 

He was quite panicked, trying to think of how to avoid the sudden attack from the boy. Before the boy's shoe hit his face, Ietsuna crouched on the ground and he found the only opening for him to defeat the boy.

Ietsuna approached the boy and he wrapped his arms around the boy's waist, locking his hands. While keeping the boy tight against his body, he pushed through his legs, drive his hips forward into the boy and straighten his legs to lift the boy off the ground. 

He used all his strength to lift and throw the boy on the ground. The boy was lying on the ground and he was groaning with pain. 

Sakaguchi stood up and he went to Ietsuna to check on him. 

"You're amazing, Sawada! I never knew you can fight like that!"

Ietsuna did not respond. There was a confused look on his face.

"Are you alright, Sawada?"

"I...I don't know..." he muttered. "Did...did I just...do something?"

"You just throw someone on the ground! You didn't know that??"

"I...I'm panicking. I didn't know how to, well, respond to his sudden attack or something..."

Sakaguchi was about to respond when Aratani came over with their homeroom teacher. 

"What happened here??" the homeroom teacher asked with her dissatisfied look. 

"Sakaguchi didn't mean to make him fall and he apologised but the boy refused to accept his apology and he tried to attack us," Aratani explained. 

"Sawada had no choice but to stop him from attacking us," Sakaguchi added. "I saw everything. It was that boy started to attack us."

The homeroom teacher noticed Ietsuna's pale look before she asked him. 

"Are you hurt, Sawada? Your face looks pale."

"I...I'm fine. I'm not hurt at all..."

"I'm glad to hear that," the teacher turned to look at the boy. "As for you, Hatanaka. You are coming with me to see the principal. Right now."

The homeroom teacher walked away while Aratani and Sakaguchi went to carry the large bin. Ietsuna was following them when the boy called out for him. 

"Hey, you..." 

He turned around and he was staring at him. 

"What do you want?"

"You are smaller than me, and yet...you could lift someone larger than you. No one can dodge my spinning kick except for you. Who taught you that defensive crouch?"

"...why you want to know about it?"

"Honestly, no one would think of that in a dangerous situation. Who taught you that stance?"

"...I'm not going to answer your question. Just go and see the principal." 

Ietsuna walked away and he saw his two friends waiting for him at the staircase. 

"Did that guy tried to hurt you again?" Sakaguchi asked. 

"Not really. He only asked who taught me how to fight, that's all."

"I do want to ask you the same thing, Sawada," Aratani spoke. "Who taught you how to fight?"

"Uh, someone who does not allow me to learn martial arts?"

"You mean...your father??" Sakaguchi answered with surprise. "Why that sudden change of mind??"

"I don't know about that but he's a great fighter. All thanks to my late grandmother. She's the judo master."


	16. name

Class observation day was the most dreadful day for most of the students in junior high school. Some tried not to tell their parents about the event so that they would not come to school to watch them in the class. Some were excited when their parents could come over to the school. 

Ietsuna was going to school as usual and some girls were eager to know how his parents looked like. He went inside the classroom and his friends came to him, wondering if his father would be coming over to the school. 

"My father's coming. He took a day leave just for today," he said to Sakaguchi and Aratani. 

"Really? I can't wait to see your father. Well, almost everyone in school wanted to see how your parents look like," said Sakaguchi. 

"My father is a human just like everyone in the world. Why do they have to be so curious?"

"Well, they are wondering where did you get the blond hair from. Either your father or your mother," Aratani added. 

"It's neither. I inherited it from my great-grandfather."

"Your great-grandfather? So he came from another country?" Sakaguchi blinked with interest. 

"Yes. My father told me that my great-grandfather was born in one of the cities of France. He wanted to learn more about Japanese culture, so he came here and later started his new life with his family-"

"Wow! Your great-grandfather was born in that famous city of love?!"

One of Ietsuna's classmate, Kikuchi Ayaka interjected with a loud shrill, caused Ietsuna to jump with shock. Their assistant class monitor, Kataoka Shiori scolded Kikuchi for shouting in the class and sternly reminded her to be in her best behaviour during the class observation. 

"Kikuchi, can you...speak in a lower tone, please?" Ietsuna muttered, still shaken from her sudden loud voice. 

"Sorry, but I can't help it..." she grinned wider. "I've always wanted to know about your family and once I heard that your great-grandfather was a Frenchman, I'm so excited!"

"What does it have to do with you?" Sakaguchi asked with his annoyed tone. "Are you his long-lost relative??"

"Boys like you don't understand anything, especially about, love," Kikuchi sneered at him before she placed her hands on her cheeks. "One of the cities in France named Paris is called the "City of Love" for many reasons. Its sights, its native language and its popularity as a honeymoon destination. Standing above the city is the most romantic of all the places, the Eiffel Tower. If Sawada could speak in the French language to me, I would be the happiest girl in the world."

"Unfortunately, I can't speak French," Ietsuna smiled awkwardly. "And I don't think my great-grandfather was born in Paris."

"Huh? You can't?? I thought of wanting to hear you saying 'I love you' in French..."

"You mean _je t'aime_?"

Aratani spoke out and the three of them were looking at her with their surprised look. 

"H...how can you say that perfectly, Hasegawa?" Kikuchi blinked her eyes several times. "Are you French??"

"Half-French," Aratani cleared her throat and she smirked. "I can teach you how to speak. Do you want some _bouillabaisse_ (boo-yuh-bes)? Or _mille-feuille_ (meel-foy)?I'm sure you _will_ love it."

"...n-never mind. I'd better get back to my seat, my mother is coming..."

Kikuchi quickly returned to her seat and pretending to look for books in her bag. Ietsuna and Sakaguchi were still amazed by Aratani's speaking skill.

"Hasegawa, you didn't tell me that you are part French," said Sakaguchi.

"Of course I didn't tell," Aratani gave a small grin. "I lied."

"You lied? But, you can speak well..." Ietsuna grew confused. 

"My father was desperate to try speaking in French so that he could amaze my mother for their wedding anniversary. She ended up laughing but she did appreciate his hard work."

"I would like to see your father, Aratani." 

"You will get to see him, Sawada. Though he will be a little late today because he needs to stock up some supplies."

As the clock struck eight, the students went back to their seats and the teacher entered the classroom to check the attendance before he began the lesson. 

While the students were having a History lesson, their parents entered the classroom from the backdoor and they stood behind, watching them. Ietsuna glanced behind and he could see his father with his formal attire. 

Some parents were looking at Yoshinobu curiously. They were muttering about the scar from his left eye and they were trying to guess which of the students were his son or his daughter.

The teacher soon asking the students to raise their hand if they could answer the questions. As some parents were expecting their child to answer the questions, some students tried to raise their hands. Sakaguchi hoped that he was not chosen to answer the question but his mother was glaring at him. 

"Sakaguchi Kuro!"

He immediately stood up and his fingers were shivering. He wished that his mother stopped glaring at him so that he could calm down. 

"Yes, sir?"

"What was Japan called before?"

He placed his hand at his right temple, pretending to think harder. The question sounded familiar and he felt like he read it last night.

"Uh, Japan was known as...uh..."

"Known as what, Sakaguchi?"

He went silent for a few seconds before he suddenly clapped his hand once, answering the question quickly. 

"Japan was known as Wa (倭), or Wakoku (倭国)- uh, before Nihon came into official use!" 

"Very good, Sakaguchi. Now you may be seated."

He let out a relieved sigh and he turned to look at his mother who was seen giving her thumbs up for her son. 

The teacher continued to ask more questions and this time, he had chosen Aratani. 

"Hasegawa Aratani!"

"Yes, sir?"

"What is the Treaty of Kanagawa?"

"The Treaty of Kanagawa was the first treaty between Japan and the United States and it was signed on March 31, 1854."

Only one man was clapping loudly and some students were glancing behind. A man in his late forties was seen wearing a simple white shirt with grey pants. He was smiling happily as he clapped while Aratani simply grinned at him before she sat down. 

"Dohachiro Goro!"

"Ugh, why me? I'm terrible at History..."

Ietsuna could hear him muttering before Dohachiro stood up, looking at the teacher with his uncertain look. 

"Yes, sir?"

"Who was the last Tokugawa Shogun?"

The bespectacled boy was silent for a while to think of the correct answer. 

"Is it...Tokugawa Iemochi?"

Some students snickered as soon as they heard his answer. The parents were exchanging their looks and some wondering if he was giving the right answer. The teacher shook his head before he spoke. 

"Wrong answer, Dohachiro. Tokugawa Iemochi was the 14th shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. I know that you are only good in Science subject but I am hoping that you will give the same attention to History subject next time."

"...sorry, sir."

Dohachiro immediately sat down and the teacher soon called out for Ietsuna to answer the question. He stood up and he could feel that everyone was staring at him, especially the parents. 

Probably because of his odd appearance. 

"Sawada Ietsuna. Who was the last Tokugawa Shogun?"

"Tokugawa Yoshinobu, also known as Tokugawa Keiki was the 15th and last shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. During his rule, he made efforts to try and reform the aging government system but was unsuccessful. He soon chose to resign from his post in late 1867 and largely avoided the public eye for remaining years of his life."

The teacher nodded once and the parents were impressed with Ietsuna's answer. 

The lesson continued as the parents watched and Yoshinobu had been silent most of the time. Ietsuna's explanation about the last Tokugawa Shogun slowly brought him back to the past where his classmates made fun of his name. 

**_"Yoshinobu? Or are you that last shogun? Who in the world gave you that name??"_ **

**_"Your parents should have given you a better name! You know what happened to that last shogun, right??"_ **

**_"I thought I have the worst birth name. I feel so sorry to you. I'll make sure to visit you after your retirement."_ **

He hated it when someone insulted his name given by his parents, or probably suggested by his grandfather. When he had thought about it, would he ever share the same fate as the last Tokugawa Shogun?

* * *

"You are so quiet, father."

Ietsuna broke the silence between him and his father. It was time for a lunch break and they were sitting on the bench in the school garden. 

"Sorry, I was...thinking."

"Thinking about what? Or...did I do something bad or embarrassing in the class?"

"No, not that. You did well in your class, Ietsuna. Nothing wrong about it."

"Then, what is it?"

Yoshinobu let out a long sigh before he answered his question. 

"Don't you ever feel strange that I shared the same name as the last Tokugawa Shogun?"

"I didn't find it strange, father. You are not the only one sharing the same name with someone else."

"I know. The two Tokugawa Shoguns, Ieyasu and Yoshimune were the greatest Japan's rulers. Tokugawa Ietsuna long reign was successful compared to Tokugawa Yoshinobu. Because I shared the same name as him, my classmates made fun of me."

"Why would they do that?"

"They mentioned that we were similar," Yoshinobu explained. "Tokugawa Yoshinobu was raised under strict supervision and guidance. Aside from a solid education about politic and the rules of government, he was also taught well in martial arts and literature. They could imagine that I would share the same fate as him."

"Similar, but...different."

"Different?"

"Tokugawa Yoshinobu grew up in a strict family because his father wanted him to have a chance to be the next shogun. As for father, no one force you to take only one path of your life. You choose how you live."

"Choose how I live?"

"Yes. Tokugawa Yoshinobu and Sawada Yoshinobu are two different people. I am aware that I shared the same name with one of the rulers but that does not mean we were the same. Well, some part of it..."

Yoshinobu had been listening and he could see Ietsuna was trying to cheer him up. He had the right point and he should not have compared between himself and the last Tokugawa Shogun. 

He should have been proud of his birth name given by his family members. 

"Thank you so much, Ietsuna."

"Huh? I-I didn't do anything, father-"

"You did. Shouldn't you return to your classroom? The lunch break is almost over."

"Yes, I should. What about father?"

"I'll walk around before I return home. So, don't worry about me."

"Alright. Be careful, father."

Yoshinobu nodded and Ietsuna immediately returned to his classroom. He stood up and he was about to leave the school garden when he saw a woman with a brown hair bun standing near the wall of the school building. She was staring intently at him much to his curiosity. 

"Is there anything I can help?" he asked politely. 

"You don't recognise me, Sawada Yoshinobu?" the woman asked with her stern tone. 

"You know my name- Wait, is that you, Ryoko? When did you come back here?"

"Three years ago," the doctor replied. "I have been trying to get a job in any hospitals but they said they do not need more doctors. I can't afford to open my own clinic, so I decided to work in the school's infirmary."

"That's great to hear. Better than not being employed."

"What about you?"

"I'm currently working in the accounts firm."

"Really?" the doctor's eyes narrowed a little. "I thought you wanted to be the...king of fighters."

His look darkened when he heard her comment. 

"That's the past. No point bringing it up, Ryoko."

"I already warned Reiko about you but she refused to listen to my advice. She firmly said that you would change but I don't see any difference."

"What do you mean?"

"Your son was afraid to let you know that he got hurt, even if it's an accident. He was afraid that you would...beat up someone who hurt him-"

"Ryoko, that's not true. I...I just want to protect him-"

"For how long? You can't even protect your wife. She died after giving birth to your child. If she didn't get pregnant in the first place, she wouldn't-"

Yoshinobu punched the wall in sudden, causing a small crack to appear. The doctor immediately went silent and she was breathing nervously, seeing his enraged face. 

"That's enough, Ryoko. This is Reiko's decision. You do not have the right to insult her decision." 

He removed his hand from the wall and he walked away to leave the school grounds. He was thankful that Ietsuna had returned to his classroom earlier. 


	17. envelope

Hanako groaned when she placed all the books she borrowed from the library on her table. The summer holidays were over but she had been spending her whole holidays doing revisions. She only had seven months left before she officially graduated from high school and soon choosing her career path. 

It was her final year and she did not want to fool around. 

"Hey, Hanako!"

Her friends came to her table and they were giving her the invitation card for the farewell party. She blinked curiously as she turned to look at her friends. 

"Invitation card for the farewell party? Why would you give it to me?"

"This year is our final year and the juniors already planned to organise a farewell party for the seniors who will be graduating soon," one of her friends explained. "All the seniors are invited to the farewell party."

"Uh, right...but I don't think I can join-"

"You are one of the most popular librarian prefects in the school and the juniors were looking forward to seeing you."

"We are aware of the upcoming exams but if you put too much pressure on yourself, you won't be able to focus during the exam season," another friend of hers spoke out. "So just take a break for a few days and have fun."

"Even your sister had been complaining about you staying in the house for the whole summer holiday. I'm sure you don't want the juniors' efforts wasted just like that."

She let out a frustrated sigh and closed the book. 

"About time. I can finally get some rest," Hanako took the card from her friend's hand. "Fine, I'm joining."

Her friends smiled happily and she only had an amused grin on her face. They did not want her to study too hard. One of her male classmates called out for her with his loud voice.

"Hey, Tanaka! Someone is looking for you! It's a boy!"

Hanako looked up and he was pointing his thumb at someone who was standing outside her classroom. Some of her classmates exclaimed with surprise ("Ooohhh!") and they were grinning.

"Who's that, Tanaka? Your boyfriend??"

"I didn't know you like someone younger than you~!"

"Wait? Maybe he's your secret admirer??"

"Oh, shut up!" Hanako said loudly, feeling annoyed as she stood up, walking out from the classroom. 

Hanako blinked with surprised as soon as she recognised the person who wanted to see her. It was the student who was bullied by the senior students months ago and he looked like he had recovered from the injuries he suffered. His hands were holding a History book and there was a relieved look on his face. 

"Are you...Tanaka Hanako?" the boy asked timidly. 

"Yes, I am," Hanako asked the boy with her very small voice. "Are you...that boy who got bullied by those seniors?"

The boy nodded and he gave his grateful smile to her. 

"Thank you so much for saving my life, senior Tanaka," he held out the book. "Please accept this gift from me."

"Wait, I can't just accept your gift-"

"Please accept it, senior. I would be feeling uncomfortable if you don't. If it wasn't because of you, I would have been..."

She wanted to reject his gift but his eyes were telling that he desperately wanted her to accept it. She sighed defeatedly as she took the book from him. 

"Thank you for your gift. Are you feeling better?"

"Much better," the boy answered. "It took me almost a month to recover and I was still afraid to go to school. You know, if those people come to look for me again. I have been skipping schools many times due to my trauma until my parents had made a decision to...transfer me to another high school."

"You're going to transfer to another school?" Hanako asked with her surprised look.

"Yes. Fortunately, my father had found a job in another district. So, today is my last day of school."

"...I see. I wish the best of luck to you, uh..."

"I'm Kiyoshi," the boy bowed. "Nice to meet you, senior Tanaka."

"Nice to meet you too."

The boy smiled again before he walked away from her classroom. She had a sad smile on her face and she was feeling glad to see him safe and alive. She went back to her classroom and once again, her classmates began to taunt her for having a boyfriend. 

"For the one last time, he's not my boyfriend!!"

* * *

"Big sister! Do you want to take a bath??"

Hatsuka was asking as she stood in front of her sister's room while carrying her sleeping attire and a towel. Hanako was still busy with her assignments as she waved her hand once. 

"I need to finish this thing for a while. You can take a bath first."

"Alright but don't be late. Granny wants you to get more rest."

"I know. Where's granny?"

"She's at Ietsuna's house to teach him how to make gyoza. She'll come home soon."

Hanako nodded once and Hatsuka left to go to the bathroom. She was trying to solve all the questions given in the worksheet and she needed to get it done. She had a few questions left to answer as she tossed her pencil aside, letting out a loud groan.

While she was rubbing her temples to ease her headache, her eyes were looking at the History book the boy had given to her as a gift. 

"Honestly, Kiyoshi. You should have thanked Ietsuna and Hatsuka, not me."

She muttered on her own as she took the book to see its content. She always wanted to buy this book for a long time and she was wondering how did he know that this was her favourite book. 

It was until she saw an envelope in a book she was reading. She was surprised at first and she did not want to see it in case if the envelope belonged to Kiyoshi. There was something written at the back of the envelope. 

_Senior Tanaka Hanako, please read this letter. I need to tell you something._

The envelope was addressed to her and she quickly stood up to shut her room door to prevent Hatsuka from entering her room. She sat back and took out the papers from the envelope to read it. 

_Senior Tanaka Hanako,  
  
First of all, I want to thank you for saving my life after I was nearly beaten to death by bullies months ago. I was unconscious for almost a month and it took some time for me to recall what had happened to me.   
  
I was still afraid to go to school and I have been skipping schools many times because of the bullies. I begged my parents to transfer me to another school but my mother told me that I had to wait until my father got a promotion in his workplace. The principal decided to get another teacher to watch over me until the day I was finally transferred to another school.   
  
The principal and the head of the student council already told me the whole story and they had been apologising to me for the bullying incident. When I asked them who was the one saved my life, they were hesitant to tell me. The head of the student council decided to tell after how many times I pleaded them to tell me. He told me that you were the one saw the seniors beating me up at the school workshop block and you immediately sent me to the school infirmary before I was taken to the hospital. I promised him that I would not tell that you were the one who reported this case to him.   
  
The principal and the head of the student council wanted me to keep this secret since they tried so hard to prevent that incident from happening again. But, I feel like I need to tell someone about it before other helpless students become the next victim.  
  
You see, I was a newbie just like other first-year high school students. I was doing well in school and nothing bad had happened to me so far.   
  
Until the day I was looking at the Boxing Club room.   
  
I was curious and I wanted to walk around the school area. I happened to see that room that had been closed and abandoned for years. I was being told that the school had banned the Boxing Club but I could not help looking at it. I looked through the window and I regretted it.   
  
I saw the senior students having a meeting in the room and I could hear that they were trying to recruit more new members according to their boss's orders. They had dangerous weapons with them and I know those weapons were not coming from the Boxing Club room.   
  
I grew terrified as I tried to escape. They soon caught me and they threatened to kill me if I dare to speak about them to the principal or the head of the student council. I had no choice but to keep it secret. They had been accompanying me most of the time (except for lessons) and claimed that I was their best friend. They forced me to join a gangster group and that I must pledge my loyalty to the boss. I was once brought to another place after school hours and they made me watch the brutal fight between two seniors.   
  
I could not take it. I was afraid. So afraid that I have been absent for days. I could not tell my parents about it. I decided to confront them and tell them that I would not want to join their sickening game.   
  
They laughed at me and because I know too much, they would not let me go. After the confrontation, I was nearly beaten to death. The day when you saw me at the school workshop block.   
  
Those seniors were still watching me after I returned to school but they could not do anything as a teacher was accompanying me.   
  
I can only tell you this: their boss is not someone from the school. Their boss is desperate to look for more followers and I never knew why. He could be the one who was responsible for the incident that happened two years ago.   
  
Please, senior Tanaka. You have to do something about this. I do not want more to become the victim and I am afraid that the incident might happen once again.   
  
Once again, thank you for saving my life.   
  
From: Kiyoshi  
_  
Hanako's face was as white as a chalk. Her hands went cold after reading the letter written by Kiyoshi. She could not even take a risk to tell it to the head of the student council or the principal. She did not want to get involved with it. 

More importantly, she must not let Hatsuka or Ietsuna know about Kiyoshi's letter. The bullies would not dare to make the next move after Kiyoshi being hospitalised. 

"Hanako!!"

She jumped with shock and she abruptly hid the letter in her drawer with a loud slam. Mrs Tanaka opened the door and she was frowning. 

"Didn't you hear your sister calling out for you?? She accidentally dropped her clothes in the bathroom and she needs you to get another one."

"S-sorry, granny. I'll go and get it..." she muttered. "I was too preoccupied to answer my worksheet questions..."

"Don't study too hard, Hanako. Do you want your hair to turn white like mine?"

"No! I'm going to look like a banshee!"

"Then, go back to sleep. Oh, don't forget to eat some gyozas. Ietsuna made lots of them today." 

"I will. Thanks, granny."

Hanako left her room to get other clothes for Hatsuka. She went to the bathroom and her sister was pouting angrily. 

"What took you so long?? Is the worksheet questions more important than me??"

"Sorry," Hanako grinned as she gave her the clothes. "Here you go. Granny brought some gyozas home. She said Ietsuna made a lot of them." 

"Really? I can't wait to try," Hatsuka grinned. 

"Uh, Hatsuka?"

"Yes?"

"Uh, well..."

"What is it, big sister? I'm freezing here..."

"...how's Satoshi? Is he alright?"

"...why would you asking about him in sudden?"

"Hey, I know him too when I was young. I haven't been seeing him after I went to high school."

"He's doing fine at the moment. Anything else you want to know about him?" 

"Nothing. You may continue with your bath."

Hatsuka shut the door and Hanako walked away from the bathroom. Telling her little sister about Kiyoshi was the dumbest idea she ever thought. 

She decided to keep quiet about it. She needed the right time to expose it. 


	18. winter

**_"Mother. Are you sure you want to go?"_ **

**_"I'm so sorry, Shin. This tournament is important and I need to go. But I promise that I will return before the winter arrives. Make sure to take good care of your father and your grandfather while I'm away."_ **

_**"Alright, mother."** _

Sayuri gently hugged her son, her husband and her father-in-law before she left the house. That was the last time he ever saw his mother. 

He waited for days and weeks while looking at the window, expecting to see her coming inside the house. Autumn season was almost over and there were almost no leaves and flowers at the tree. 

He woke up late on the next day when he heard someone was coming over to his house. He peeked and he saw his grandfather trying to calm his father who was seen kneeling on the floor. He recognised another man who was standing in front of them with his regret look. 

That man was his mother's judo instructor and he was holding some gold medals at his hands. 

Where was his mother?

**_"Yoshimune, please calm down. I know you're upset but think of your asthma-"_ **

**_"What else I can do for her, father? She...she's gone...just like that..."_ **

The man knelt and he placed his hand on his shoulder. 

**_"I'm so sorry, Yoshi. Sayuri could not make it. She wanted to return home fast to see all of you."_ **

**_"How...how am I going to explain to Shin? She promised to him that she will...return before the winter arrives..."_ **

**_"We can't lie to him, Yoshimune. He needs to know the truth."_ **

Days after the Sawada family received the news, they held a funeral for Sayuri. He had been quiet most of the time. He was upset that his mother left him. 

At the same time, he was angry. 

Sayuri and her instructor were involved in an accident. They were sitting in the rickshaw and they were on their way home. The rickshaw driver was unaware of the surroundings when another two rickshaws suddenly crashed into them. 

It was an unfortunate accident, so the driver was not responsible for it, escaping justice. 

Some of his classmates felt so sorry for him after losing his mother. Some were taunting him. Especially the boy who happened to be the rickshaw driver's son. 

**_"I feel so sorry to you, Sawada. Losing your mother at your age. But still, I find it surprising that she could not even escape from the accident. I mean, she's the judo master as what I've heard from you. You always said that she's invincible. Looks like God proves you wrong-"_ **

**_"Shut up. Don't you dare to insult my mother."_ **

**_"I said nothing but the truth. It's not my father's fault that she died-"_ **

**_"Your father was preoccupied and he failed to notice the incoming rickshaws! He should be responsible for my mother's death!!"_ **

**_"You don't have the right to say something like that about my father, Sawada! Just accept your mother's death like anyone else-!"_ **

He punched the boy's face without saying anything. They soon fought, causing the teachers to stop them and calling their parents. Yoshimune was having another asthma attack, so Ieyasu came instead to see his grandson. 

His grandfather remained calm as he listened to the principal's explanation. He refused to look at the boy and his father but he was tightening his fists. They were talking as if they were trying to say that it was not their fault. 

**_"I'm sorry. I will make sure that my grandson will behave next time."_ **

He grew angrier when his grandfather apologised to them. This was not right at all. 

**_"Yoshinobu. You are not the only one saddened with your mother's death."_ **

**_"Grandpa, why do you need to apologise to this kind of jerks? Didn't you see their face when you said sorry to them??"_ **

_**"...I understand your feelings. I truly do."** _

_**"Then, why-"** _

**_"I've seen this kind of people when I was young. I do understand what you have gone through. So, just let them be. Your mother doesn't want to see you like this. For now, let us head home and see your father."_ **

He did listen to his grandfather. Until when he went to high school. 

The boy was attending the same high school as he was and he had been picking on weaker boys. The teachers did not do anything to stop him and he had enough. 

He abandoned everything that his father, his grandfather and his mother had taught him.

He punched and kicked the boy without mercy. He even did the same to his father. Both of them were terrified to see his true rage. 

_**"P-please...spare our life..."** _

He was looking at them and he had a murderous look on his face. Seeing them begging him to spare their lives made him feel more satisfied than anything. 

They would not dare to talk something bad about his mother. 

This was only the beginning. He had many others to be punished. 

This might be only a dream but since it was his memory... **he could do anything he wanted**. 

**He would kill them. He would not hesitate to kill** -

"NO!"

He screamed and he instantly woke up. He was glancing around and he was still in his bedroom. He felt strangely cold before he realised it was already winter. 

His least favourite season of all. A season that reminded him of his mother's death. 

He slowly sat up and he felt like he was in a state of death. Or, he probably had lost half of his life. 

The door slide open and he saw someone standing. 

"Feeling better now, Shin?"

Katsuya brought a tray of food and he placed it on another table before he came over to Yoshinobu. 

"What happened to me, Katsuya?"

"You fainted in the hot springs. Your son was panicking and he called out for me to help you out. Mrs Tanaka said you are having a fever and you have been sleeping until now."

He could remember. Katsuya was bringing him and Ietsuna to the hot springs along with Mrs Tanaka and her two granddaughters. Yoshinobu was not planning to come along and letting Ietsuna go with them until Katsuya had to drag him along. 

"You look pale. Are you still not feeling well?"

"...I'm fine. It's the nightmare that woke me up..."

"You are still suffering from those nightmares?"

"...yes."

"Shin, when are you going to learn? You have those nightmares all over again because you can't move on."

"...I tried. I just...can't..."

"You can't?"

"My grandfather's eyes are still haunting my mind until now. I don't think he could forgive me even after my father told me that he had forgiven me."

"That's because you are his grandson-"

"His unworthy grandson, to be exact."

"Shin, don't say something like that, will you??"

Katsuya said loudly to him and he went quiet. The silence between them grew awkward as Katsuya took a cup of tea for him to drink. 

"You are badly shaken. Drink some tea to clear your mind a little."

"...thanks."

"You didn't tell Ietsuna about your past?"

"I did. Not everything. I'm not ready to tell him about 'that'."

"You decided to teach him some self-defence skills. I thought you don't want to teach him how to fight because you are afraid that he would take your dark path."

"...If I die one day, who will protect Ietsuna?"

He was staring at his own reflection from the tea he was drinking. 

"I could not always lock him away from every possible danger. He needs to face them, no matter how scary things might get. He needs to feel every pain he suffered so that he could learn how to survive. He also needs to make his own decision during crucial times. If he could do all of it, then he is ready to protect himself."

Katsuya had been staring at him before he smiled with amusement. 

"You should have done that earlier. You did scare almost everyone in his elementary school."

Yoshinobu nearly choked on the tea he was drinking. 

"He was being chased and he had to climb at the school roof! What if he fell off from there??"

"Still being overprotective, huh? But I'm glad that you decided to give him some space for him to learn something important. By the way, did he know about your family's secret?"

"I can't tell him yet. When the time comes, he will know about it."

"Then, what about you?"

Yoshinobu was about to reply when the door behind Katsuya was sliding open. Ietsuna's blond hair was still messy as he had just woke up from sleep. Katsuya soon stood up and he decided to leave both of them in the room. The boy quickly sat by his father's side to check his condition. 

"Father, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Ietsuna. I've been better after getting a long sleep."

"I'm sorry! I overslept and I nearly forgot that you are sick, so I quickly came over to see you!"

Yoshinobu had been watching his son's expression and he remembered something. 

A week after his mother's death, he had a fever and he had to absent from school for a few days. Yoshimune was away from work, so his grandfather was the one taking care of him. 

His grandfather restlessly trying to decrease the temperature but he failed. He could see his troubled expression. While he was asleep, his grandfather gently touched his hair as he spoke with his soft voice. 

**_"Yoshinobu? Do you miss your mother?"_ **

**_"Well, me too. I miss my family, my friends...everyone I cared. I know how does it feel to lose someone important to us."_ **

**_"You can't give up. You still have a long way to go. You need to keep on living. You need to prove to your mother that you will live on without her."_ **

_**"You need to be strong."** _

If only he did not take the dark path. 

"...Ietsuna?"

"Yes?"

"I'm starting to feel hungry. Can I..."

"Sure. I'll help you."

Ietsuna smiled as he took the tray and picking up a bowl of rice to his father. He took it and he started to eat rice and some other dishes. 

"Maybe you're hungry because you didn't have dinner last night."

"You're right. At least I'm feeling better after eating something. However..."

"However?"

"I'm not saying that the food in this inn is bad. I just preferred to eat your cooking."

"I'll cook more if you like, father," Ietsuna grinned. "But wait till you're fully recovered." 

"Alright."

* * *

Hanako and Hatsuka were sitting at the inn's porch. They had their breakfast and they were resting before they decided to go to the hot spring. Ietsuna came in and he sat with them with his relieved look. 

"How's your father?" Hatsuka asked with concern. 

"He's getting better after eating his breakfast," he answered. "I was so worried that I did not get enough sleep last night."

"Luckily it's only a normal fever. If it's getting serious, my granny would call an ambulance," Hanako added. 

"I'm still worried. My father rarely fell ill-"

"Your father is working too hard already, that's why you need to tell him to get some rest," Hatsuka spoke and she turned to look at her sister. "Same to you, big sister. Don't study way too hard or you'll fall sick like his father." 

"I'm getting enough rests already. I have three more months before I graduate from high school."

"That's fast," Ietsuna blinked. "I just got started in junior high school."

"Not for long, Ietsuna. After three months, you will be a second-year student. Hatsuka will be a third-year student and it will be an important year for her."

"I'll be busier that year," Hatsuka sighed. "Because I'm still the student council member."

"You can ask for Satoshi's help, you know," Hanako grinned.

"Big sister!!"

"Why he did not want to come here with his father?" Ietsuna asked curiously.

"I don't know. I did ask uncle Katsuya about him and he told me that he's not interested."

He could see her disappointed look and he gently clapped her shoulder. 

"Maybe he wanted to do something else. If there's another trip, you can invite him next time." 

"You're right. I'm going to drag him along because he needs more time to go outside."

"Well, good luck with that," Hanako simply answered. 

Ietsuna laughed and he turned to look at the bright sky. His father once told him that the winter season was his least favourite as it reminded him of sad events. 

"It's alright, father. The spring will arrive soon."


	19. protect

He was brought to another place to live before his mother head back to the headquarters. She wanted to ensure that her son was in a safe place as the situation in Sicily had not been improving after the world war. 

It had been a tough year for his mother. Accepting the role as the boss of a family during the world crisis and there were more battles to face. She mentioned it once. She would not run away from death after her father had chosen her as his successor. 

He was unsure of his future. He was Vongola Ottavo's only child and he would be the next Vongola boss after his mother retired from the position. He knew that the Vongola Famiglia had been in the darkest years after the founder's resignation. 

He always thought that one day, he would be as ruthless as his mother and all the previous bosses. 

Until he met a boy named Sawada Ietsuna. The great-grandson of Vongola Primo, the founder of the vigilante group.

Although he was yet to know his mother's true purpose to meet Primo's descendants, he was somewhat glad to meet them.

The boy did not know anything about his family's secret but his actions had proven that he shared the Great Sky's true resolve. 

Days before he returned to Italy four years ago, he and Ietsuna saw a group of boys trying to hurt a cat near the river. He was thinking about what he should do when the blond boy ran to the boys and stop them from hurting the cat. Some boys shoved him away and they tried to beat him for interfering.

He immediately went towards them and he fought against the boys who dared to hurt the blond boy. He was done dealing with them and his face went pale after seeing Ietsuna jumped into the river to save the cat. 

Fearing that Ietsuna would drown, he quickly jumped in too to save his life. He managed to drag him to the ground before he yelled at him for doing something without thinking. 

**_"You idiot! What are you trying to do?!"_ **

_**"I...I want to save the cat-"** _

**_"You don't even know how to swim! You could think of a better way instead of risking your life!"_ **

_**"But, if I don't act quickly, the cat will die. So..."** _

**_"So it's alright to throw your life just like that-"_ **

**_"I don't know how to swim but I can't just watch and see the cat drowning in the river!! Life is life!!"_ **

Ietsuna was crying bitterly and he was still carrying the cat in his arms. 

**_"It hurts...it hurts to see many people die in the war. Children without parents. People with no home to stay. The brutal slaughter of many innocent people. When would this end? When?"_ **

He did not say anything. He listened. 

_**"It was terrible to see someone hurting a cat. It's an animal to them but still...it's a living thing. If I don't do anything, who else would?"** _

He felt worse. Compared to Ietsuna, he did not do anything. He only watched others being assaulted. Even if he wanted to help, he could not do it. Either he was afraid or it was none of his business. 

Ietsuna would help even if he was afraid and he had to risk his own life.

"Hey! Stop it!!"

Timoteo snapped from his own thoughts and he saw a teenage boy about his age shouting while chasing someone who stole his bag. None of the people would bother to help him as the teenage boy continued to chase the robber. 

Without hesitating, Timoteo jumped from the balcony and he started to run in an opposite way to catch the robber. 

The robber smirked with satisfaction as he was more familiar with almost all the paths and he would be able to escape until he saw another teenage boy standing in front of him. He thought the boy was another random robber as he shouted at him.

"Sorry, mate, this is mine! Go and rob someone else!"

Timoteo had an amused smile on his face after hearing the robber's comment. At least better than being recognised as Vongola Ottavo's son. 

"I would love to but I'm more interested with that bag you just robbed from a kid."

"No way! You can't take it from me!" 

"Don't mind me if I use force."

The robber could hear someone else was coming and he tried to find another route to escape. Timoteo quickly followed him from behind and the robber had been trying to block his ways by shoving the dustbins and thin poles on the ground. The older teen could easily avoid them and he picked up a pole as he aimed at the robber before he lost sight of him. 

With all his strength, he threw the pole and it went to pierce through the robber's clothes, causing him to fall on the ground, dropping the bag instantly. 

He caught up with the robber and picking up the bag. Timoteo looked around to see if the teenage boy was around when he felt something heavy from inside the bag. He hated the idea of looking into someone's things but he wanted to know the bag's owner. 

He opened the bag and carefully took out the wallet to see the identification document. It belonged to that teenage boy who came from one of the Italian regions with a stretch of coastline on the Adriatic Sea.

He felt like his mother had told him about that place. It was-

"Hey! You there!"

The teenage boy managed to find the robber and he was surprised to see another boy about his age holding his bag. He was a little taller than Timoteo and had a light-coloured skin. Judging by his appearance, the teenage boy seemed to not familiar with the town Timoteo was currently staying.

"Uh, did you just...catch this robber?" the teenage boy asked as he saw the robber's clothes got stuck with the pole.

"I did. I saw you chasing him from the balcony," Timoteo simply answered as he passed the bag to him. "Might as well check your bag if anything is missing."

The teenage boy took his bag and he took some time to check all his belongings. He smiled with relief as he turned to look at Timoteo. 

"Nothing is missing. Thank you so much for helping me!"

"You are not from here, right?"

"Yes, I'm coming from a different region. I'm following with my father and his right-hand- I mean his assistant for business but..." he nervously laughed. "I got distracted and I'm lost here. I did ask someone for the directions before I got robbed. My father would be nagging at me if he sees me."

"Ah, it always happens to anyone who first comes here," Timoteo smiled. "Maybe I can help you. I know this place better than those who would try to rob you."

"Really? Thank you for your help!"

"My name is Timoteo. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too. I'm Anselmo."

* * *

"Timoteo, where have you been?"

Daniela's Storm Guardian was sitting in his room and she had a displeased look on her face. He knew that he was not supposed to go out without telling anyone. He had just returned after helping the teenage boy to look for his father. 

"I'm sorry, Aunt Eva. I was helping a boy who got robbed by someone."

"You're helping?" Eva's eyes blinked with curiosity. 

"Is it wrong to help someone?" said Timoteo with his uncertain look. 

"I didn't say it's wrong to help someone. I'm wondering what makes you do that?"

"...can I just say I feel like it's the right thing to do?"

Eva was still staring at him before she looked away with a small smile on her face. 

"You've changed ever since your last trip with your mother four years ago. Usually, you would often argue with your mother as you complained that she loves her work over her own child. You seem to understand the responsibility she is carrying."

Timoteo sat beside Eva on the small couch. 

"I was often brought to my relative's place when my mother told me that she was too busy with her work. I once complained to grandpa Fabio about her and he was only smiling, hearing a child's endless rant. He only told me to try to understand the harsh situation she had to face."

"Timoteo, do you know how long I've known your mother?"

"Long enough that you know a lot of things about mom."

Eva laughed as soon as she heard his answer.

"You are right. She may be the only female boss in the Vongola Famiglia but it's not wise to underestimate her. She is strong and she had fought many strong opponents. On the other hand, I think she has been doing a great job as a mother."

"What makes you think of that, Aunt Eva?"

"She is trying to make a world a better place for you to live, Timoteo."

"...she did?"

"She shared some same ideals from her hero, Vongola Primo. After witnessing many violence and horrors while performing her duties as the Vongola boss, there is no way she would let her child live in this such terrible view."

He instantly remembered Ietsuna's sad face when he once complained about his mother. 

_**"I envied you, Timoteo. You have a beautiful mother who often scolded you for being so rude. She brought you along so that she could spend some time with you. What about me? No one was there to scold me, or bringing me out, or even cooking some food for me and my father. Whenever I return home, it was quiet. Sometimes, I wished my mother would say, welcome home."** _

He was already loved by his mother. He just did not notice it.

To protect. This was the Vongola Famiglia's original goal. 

"...Aunt Eva?"

"Yes?"

"Is my mother still grieving for grandpa Fabio?"

"She still does. It's understandable because she is Vongola Settimo's precious child."

"Then...can you please tell her to stop grieving already?"

"Why is that so?"

"The mafia bosses would laugh at her if they see her face!" Timoteo quickly answered. "If she wants to cry, then tell her to kick all the enemies' faces before she can continue to cry!"

Eva was speechless as he let out a long sigh. 

"Honestly, I miss grandpa Fabio too..." he muttered. "Mom can have my shoulder if in case she wants to cry for him..."

"...I will send your message to your mother, Timoteo. For the time being while she's away for Vongola business, don't go anywhere without telling your relatives."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"It's fine."

"You are coming here just to check on me?"

"Your mother was quite worried, so she wanted me to check on you."

"I see."

"What about that boy you've helped earlier? Did he know about you?"

"I doubt he knows anything about me but I have a hunch that I know who is he."

"What do you mean?"

"I was checking the wallet to find out the owner of the bag and I found out that he's from one of the Italian regions near the Adriatic Sea. Is there a family owns the entire territory at there?"

"Yes, there is. It's Cavallone Famiglia."

"So he could be...coming from Cavallone Famiglia."

"What makes you think he's from Cavallone Famiglia?"

"He told me that he was lost after being separated from his father and his assistant. I brought him almost entire town until I found his worried father and that's where I noticed his father's significant tattoo at his left arm."

"I see. In that case, that boy must be Cavallone Ottavo's son. Your mother told me that he's coming over for an important meeting. Are you sure he doesn't know anything about you?"

"Aunt Eva, I would not tell anyone that I am Vongola Ottavo's son until she is ready. That is the only thing I promised to my mom."

He stood up and he went to the balcony to see the sunset, bringing out the appearance of the sky in the evening before the sun goes down. He let out a long sigh as he looked at the view of the town from the balcony. 

It had been four years since his last visit to Japan and he was wondering if Ietsuna was doing fine or not. 

If he had a chance, he would like to see him again.


	20. help

He was doing well and he was in his final year at junior high school. He went to school on his own as Hatsuka already starting her first year in senior high school. Hanako graduated from senior high school two years ago and she continued studying in college at another district. 

Ietsuna went inside his classroom and he saw Sakaguchi talking with his new classmates. He remembered that some of his old classmates were sorted in different classes. Tamashiro Naoki had to transfer to another district with his parents since the beginning of spring season. 

"Morning, Sawada."

Aratani was sitting beside Ietsuna and she waved her hand to greet him. Ietsuna simply smiled as he sat down and he took out some books. 

"Morning to you too, Aratani. How's your day?"

"Same as usual. Though this year is much different from our previous years."

"I guess you are right. We have new classmates to join us and it's our final year in this school."

"We're done with the exam days ago, just get some rest."

"I am resting," Ietsuna laughed. "Hatsuka would nag at me if I study too hard. Her sister nearly had a serious headache after not getting enough sleep."

"Is she at senior high school?"

"Yes. She's doing fine. It's just a little strange that I would be walking to school without her."

"Oh, did you miss her?" Aratani smirked. 

"Maybe," he sighed. "Is it normal to feel sad when someone you see them as an older sibling no longer following you to school?"

"I don't know. I don't have siblings or any childhood friend," Aratani answered. "You still can see her around, Sawada. It's not the end of the world if you don't see her a day or two."

"...alright..." he had an awkward smile on his face. 

"If you feel lonely, I can accompany you home."

"N-no, it's fine! I don't want to trouble you-"

"Good morning, Sawada!"

Sakaguchi came to them as soon as he was done talking to his new classmates. 

"Good morning, Sakaguchi. I thought you want to talk to your friends."

"We are discussing the upcoming baseball tournament," Sakaguchi smiled. "Looks like it's going to be my last game before leaving junior high school."

"Really? When is that upcoming tournament?"

"Not sure. We are still waiting for the news from the teacher. Anyway-"

The door slides open with a loud sound and a male student came in with his unpleasant look. Ietsuna, Aratani and Sakaguchi immediately recognised that student. 

Hatanaka Masato was the boy who tried to punch Sakaguchi before Ietsuna went to save him two years ago. 

He was still glaring at Ietsuna and Sakaguchi as he took a seat far away from them. Sakaguchi quickly sat with Ietsuna and Aratani before he whispered. 

"I would love to ask any teachers who placed him in this class with us. I thought it was a sick joke made by the teachers until we saw him coming here on the first day of school."

"We can't do anything about it," Aratani shrugged her shoulders. "The school doesn't have any classes for the smartest and dumbest so that the students get equal treatment from the teachers."

"I don't mind anyone but why him??" Sakaguchi whispered desperately. "He's been glaring at us since the start of the school."

"Just ignore him," Aratani suggested. "If anything happens, scream for help."

Sakaguchi was still nervous but Ietsuna noticed that Hatanaka was not glaring at him. He had been watching the blond boy and he felt uncomfortable. 

The homeroom teacher soon came in and announced the name of students who got excellent grades from the previous exam. Students with highest exam grades would be chosen to go on the school trip for a few days. 

"The three students who will join the school trip for this year are; Hasegawa Aratani, Sawada Ietsuna and Hatanaka Masato!"

The students clapped their hands but Ietsuna's face went a little pale. It was his first time going on a school trip but joining with Hatanaka was something he found it hard to accept. 

"Teacher?" Dohachiro Goro stood up and he was not satisfied. "Why I am not chosen for the school trip??"

"Students with excellent grades from the previous exam are eligible to join the school trip," the homeroom teacher explained. "You did well as you did last two years but this time, Sawada and Hatanaka's grades surpass yours."

"Impossible! They probably cheating during the exam! I'm sure of it!"

"Hey, I didn't-"

"Don't simply accuse Sawada, Dohachiro!" Sakaguchi shouted at him. "Just accept your defeat like anyone else!"

The teacher cleared his throat to silence both of them. 

"Dohachiro Goro, I know you tried your best but your grades have been deteriorating lately since the last semester. Simply accusing your classmates of cheating in the exam clearly shows your true character and I hope you won't do that again."

The bespectacled boy lowered his head as he sat down. 

"Sakaguchi Kuro, I'm amazed that you did defend Sawada from being accused but please, put more effort to get a better grade for the exam unless you are not planning to continue your studies in senior high school."

"Alright, teacher," said Sakaguchi and he sat down. 

The homeroom teacher gave another few words and advice to the student before another teacher came in to start their lesson. 

Ietsuna tried to ignore Hatanaka's hostility and he spent most of the time concentrating in the class. 

* * *

Sakaguchi had a baseball training with his friends in the field while Aratani had to stay behind to talk with the homeroom teacher. Ietsuna decided to head home alone as he had no reason to stay in the classroom. 

"Excuse me, Sawada!"

He turned around and he saw his assistant class monitor, Kataoka Shiori carrying some books in her arms. 

"Is there anything I can help, Kataoka?"

"I'm in a hurry to go home because my mother fell ill in sudden!" Kataoka said quickly. "But I also need to give these books to our Geography teacher-"

"I see," Ietsuna proceed to take the books from her. "I'll take it to the staffroom."

"Huh? Is it alright for you??"

"Don't worry about it," he smiled. "Your mother's health is more important. Be sure to bring her to see the doctor once you reach home." 

"Thank you so much for your help, Sawada!" Kataoka bowed. "I'll see you again tomorrow!"

She quickly took her bag from the table and left the classroom. Ietsuna walked off and he later reached the staffroom where he could see the Geography teacher sitting at her place and writing her report. He placed the books on the table and briefly explained about Kataoka's situation. 

He glanced at the window and he saw Hatanaka Masato loitering around the old Boxing Club room and his face looked desperate. 

He left the staffroom and he was walking to the Boxing Club room to know what was happening. He hid in the thick bushes to avoid being seen and more older boys were coming to see Hatanaka.

Those older boys were from senior high school. Why were they in junior high school?

"Did you collect the protection fees from the new members?" 

"Yes, I did," Hatanaka answered and he took out a large sum of money to them. "Some of them refused to pay and I have to teach them a lesson."

"Good job," one of them replied as he took the money. "Be sure to not let anyone know about this. We're trying so hard to recruit more members so that our boss can regain what he had lost."

"...why he wanted to recruit young boys like us, senior?" Hatanaka asked curiously. 

"He tried to find more people but his brother had more power than he is. Plus, he thinks that it's easy to brainwash youngster's mind and using them as his army."

"If it wasn't because of his brother's interference four years ago, we would have been able to recruit newer members," another senior spoke out with his angry look. "Now it's harder to do so thanks to the new school law."

"And 'him'," another senior added. 

"'Him'?" asked Hatanaka.

"We thought he's about to tell anyone about us but it turns out that he wants to join our boss," one of them explained. "Our boss did not believe it for first until he had proven that he would not betray our boss."

"Who is that guy?" 

Ietsuna wanted to hear more about it when his hand accidentally snapped the twig into half. The seniors and Hatanaka stopped talking and they looked around to see their eavesdropper. 

"Who's there?? Come out now!"

The blond boy grew nervous and he was unsure what he should do. If he kept hiding, he would be caught but if he escaped, they would immediately recognise him and they would find him in school. 

"Ah, I've found it!"

Another random student came to pick up the football from one of the bushes and he quickly left to join his friends. The seniors let out a relieved sigh and they decided to dismiss their secret meeting. 

"Hatanaka, make sure no one knows about this. Not even one."

"What if there is someone knows about it?"

"Force them to join our group or...eliminate them."

The senior students left the place and Hatanaka remained standing outside the Boxing Club room. Ietsuna waited for him to leave before he could do so. After several minutes, Hatanaka left to get his bag in the classroom. 

Ietsuna slowly stood up from the thick bushes and he needed to leave the school quickly. He thought he was safe when he felt something was not right. 

What was happening?

As he glanced behind, Hatanaka was about to hit his head with a baseball bat. His eyes widened with shock and he managed to avoid the sudden attack. It was rather unfortunate when he fell on the ground, sprained his ankle at the same time. 

"I never know you would eavesdrop me and my seniors at the Boxing Club room," said Hatanaka with a dangerous look at his face. "I purposely left to see if an eavesdropper is hiding in the bushes."

"...why would you do this?" Ietsuna asked. "Why would you join the gangster group?"

"Why should I tell you? Are you going to report me to the principal?" 

"I would if I have to. Are you aware that the incident already killed a student four years ago?" 

"Of course I'm aware of that. A true hero who sacrificed his life to save his boss and his friends."

"That's not a sacrifice! It's murder!" Ietsuna shouted angrily at him. "He wants to be a professional boxer, not a gangster! You, your friends and your boss had ruined his life!"

Hatanaka's smirk grew wider and he slowly approached the blond boy. 

"You know too much, Sawada. I will never allow you to tell anyone about the gangster group. I'm giving you two choices. One, you must join the gangster group. Or two, you will have to die."

"I...I rather die than live to hurt people!"

"Interesting. I shall grant your wish..."

Hatanaka swung the baseball bat and Ietsuna had to crawl away from him. He tried to stand but his sprained ankle would not allow him to do so. It was more painful when he forced himself to stand. 

"You can't run with that broken ankle of yours, Sawada. Now, I can have my revenge."

"Revenge? Wait, you still can't get over it after I defeated you??"

"I will not admit my defeat!" 

The larger boy continued swinging the bat ferociously and Ietsuna had no chance to fight against him. Once the bat nearly hit his head, Ietsuna quickly grabbed it and he pulled it away from Hatanaka's hands before tossing it aside. The other was angered and he roughly pushed Ietsuna against the wall, causing the back of his head got hit at the wall. 

He slowly collapsed on the ground and he whimpered in pain. He could not do anything to defend himself. His sprained ankle was worse than before and he only could watch Hatanaka picking up the baseball bat and he was ready to smash his head. 

_"Father...grandpa...great-grandpa...help me..."_

Before Hatanaka could swing the bat, another student quickly came and hit his head with his bamboo sword. The larger boy went unconscious and the student quickly came to Ietsuna. 

"Hey, are you alright??"

The blond boy looked up and later noticed that his saviour was a boy about his age with short black hair and he was seen wearing a Kendo uniform. There was a worried look on his face. 

"My...my ankle hurts...and my head..."

"Hang on! I'll take you to the school infirmary!"


	21. through

"Aargghh!! It hurts!!"

"This is what happens if you move too much with your sprained ankle!"

The doctor scolded Ietsuna while bandaging his ankle after applying some medication. He could not handle the pain and he had been screeching for minutes until the doctor was done tending his injury.

The black-haired boy was standing beside him and he was quite uncertain to see how the doctor treated Ietsuna.

"You are lucky that it's only a mild sprain but that does not mean that you can just walk it off as if nothing had happened," the doctor explained. "You'll feel better for a few days to a week and it'll heal by six weeks."

"Six weeks??" Ietsuna exclaimed with shock. "Does that mean I have to absent from school for more than a month??"

"You can come to school. Just, don't walk a lot. That's all."

The doctor walked away and Ietsuna let out a disappointed sigh. If only he did not go and secretly see Hatanaka. He learnt a lot about the gangster group and Hatanaka would not let him go easily. 

The orders from his seniors were simple. Anyone who knew the secret, force them to join or be prepared to die. 

"Are you alright?"

Ietsuna turned to look at the black-haired boy who saved him and he smiled at him, feeling grateful for his help.

"I'm fine. Thank you so much for saving my life. If...if it wasn't because of you, I would have..."

"Oh, don't mention it," the boy grinned. "I heard something when I was in the middle of my training and I saw Hatanaka trying to hit you with a baseball bat. So I had to act quick before it's too late."

"You know Hatanaka?"

"He was my classmate since the first and second year. He's quite famous for being a troublemaker in school and students are scared of him."

"Well, he tried to punch my friend when we were in the first year of school. Now he's in my class."

"No wonder he was suspended for a week," the boy's eyes widened with surprise. "And you're saying he's now your classmate?"

"Yes. By the way, my name is Sawada Ietsuna. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Sawada," the boy smiled as he introduced himself. "I'm Yamamoto Takeo, a third-year student in school. Just call me Takeo."

"Alright, Takeo. I want to ask you something. Did you know anything about Hatanaka Masato? Since he's your classmate for two years, I want to know more about him?"

"Uh, why is that so?"

Ietsuna was tempting to tell that Hatanaka was involved with gangsterism but he thought of his own safety and to those who know about the gangster group. 

"You said that he's a troublemaker, so I want to be prepared if I had to see him again..."

"I see. Well, Hatanaka Masato is an intelligent student but he's a real troublemaker. He often picks on weaker students and takes their money. The teachers had been complaining to his mother about her son's behaviour but he doesn't change. The teachers probably give up and they ignored him. I heard that his father is in prison when he was young."

"His father is in prison?"

"Yes. His father was arrested for assaulting someone. Some teachers think that his father's imprisonment is the reason why he is rebellious. Still, why did he attack you?"

"I...I guess he's not satisfied when I defeated him in a fight," Ietsuna smiled nervously. "I mean, he tried to punch my friend and I had to stop him."

"You did??" Takeo exclaimed. "I didn't know you can fight."

"My father taught me some basic skills so that I can protect myself," he sighed. "However, I accidentally sprained my ankle when he tried to attack me secretly."

"I understand but, for real? No one could ever defeat Hatanaka but you."

"Me? Why? Is he that strong?"

"He's a karate fighter. He's so fast that no one could try to lay their hand on him."

Ietsuna knew about karate from his father when he started to learn some basic self-defence skills. Karate was a mix of offensive and defensive techniques that required the use of multiple body parts, mainly hands and feet. It was true that Hatanaka was fast when he tried to kick his face with his face. 

Strangely enough, Ietsuna could see through his quick attack.

He could also catch the ball from Sakaguchi easily and he knew Hatanaka was about to attack him from behind.

It was more than just normal quick reflexes. Something was...awakening...

"Hey, Sawada. Since you've sprained your ankle, how about I bring you home?"

"Uh, I...I don't wish to trouble you, Takeo. I thought you have...uh, Kendo training?"

"Nah, I'm training on my own," Takeo laughed. "I learn a sword style from my master and I've been trying to, well, create a new form."

"Really? Sounds awesome!" Ietsuna's eyes blinked with amazement. "I've never seen anyone fight with a sword!"

"I can show it to you anytime but first," he pointed his finger at his bandaged ankle. "Let your ankle rests for time being."

"You're right. Thanks again, Takeo."

"You're welcome."

* * *

It was the fourth-day Ietsuna was absent to school. Sakaguchi and Aratani were wondering why he would absent to school as he rarely fell ill. Some students were having the same feeling as both of them. Kataoka Shiori came to them with her worried look on her face. 

"Hasegawa, Sakaguchi. Did you know what happened to Sawada?"

"We don't know," Aratani replied. "Our homeroom teacher never say anything about him."

"There's no way our homeroom teacher would not tell us about Sawada," Kataoka frowned. "The teacher would inform the reason why a student absent from school."

"I want to know what happened to Sawada too," Sakaguchi replied. "I hate to think if there's something happened to him..."

"He looks fine," Kataoka added. "I was in a rush to go home because my mother fell ill and I also need to give the books to our Geography teacher. So he kindly helped me and tell me to go home instead."

"Do you think we should ask our Geography teacher about it?" Aratani asked. 

"I already asked her and she said he just left after leaving the books on her table," Kataoka answered. 

"Maybe he's scared to come to school..."

They turned to look around and Hatanaka Masato came in with a nasty grin on his face. Some students immediately went silent and they turned to look at their books. 

"What do you mean that he's scared?" Kataoka frowned. 

"Who knows?" Hatanaka casually dropped his bag on his table. "He's such a nosy person and he's going to pay the price for it."

"Did...did you do something bad to him?" Sakaguchi's tone trembled and he was angry. "The way you speak sounds more like...you did it-"

"Even if I did, you don't have evidence that I indeed do something to that brat."

The door slides open and Ietsuna walked into the class with his usual warm smile. 

"Good morning, everyone!"

The students gasped with surprise as soon as they saw him. Hatanaka's face grew pale and he was unable to say anything. Once Ietsuna sat at his place, the three of them immediately went to him with worry. 

"Oi, Sawada! What happened to you for the past four days??" Sakaguchi quickly asked. 

"Why are you so worried? Did the girls try to interrogate you about my absence?"

"Yes- I mean, yes but forget about the girls!" he snapped. "What exactly happened to you??"

"Oh, I fell from the stairs and sprained my ankle," Ietsuna gave a small grin. "It's quite bad that my father forced me to stay at home for a few days."

"You sprained your ankle?" Kataoka gasped. "How did it happen??"

Hatanaka was watching them and he was trying to hear if Ietsuna ever mentioned about the gangster group. He was prepared to do anything to prevent him from talking about it. 

"I left the staff room and I was in a rush to buy something in the market. I missed my footing and I fell from the stairs."

"Clumsy as always, Sawada," Aratani added. "Are you sure that you only have sprained ankle?"

"She's right," said Sakaguchi. "Nothing bad happened to you, right?"

"I'm doing fine, so you don't have to worry about me," Ietsuna smiled. "Thank you so much for all your concern."

"I'm glad that you are safe. Please be careful next time, Sawada," said Kataoka.

The homeroom teacher came and checking the students' attendance as usual. He also reminded the three students about the upcoming school trip before asking Ietsuna about his condition. 

"Sawada, I heard from your father about your ankle and I want to know if you can walk normally. If you still feel uncomfortable, I will have to pick another student to take over your place-"

"In that case, I can replace Sawada for that trip!" Dohachiro quickly stood up and he had a hopeful look on his face. 

"In your dreams," Aratani drawled. "Your grades are poorer than other students here."

He wanted to argue when the homeroom teacher cleared his throat to divert his attention. 

"I appreciate your enthusiasm but I will be picking other students who get better grades from the previous exam. So, Sawada. Do you still want to go for the trip or I will have Kikuchi Ayaka to take over your place?"

Ietsuna was glancing at his side and Kikuchi was shaking her head, saying that she did not want to join the school trip. He turned to look at his homeroom teacher. 

"Thanks for your concern, teacher. I will still join the school trip. It's the last year for me and I do not wish to miss this opportunity."

"Even with your sprained ankle?"

"My ankle is feeling better and I can walk normally."

"If that's your decision, then I will submit the names to the principal."

As soon the homeroom teacher left the classroom, Aratani turned to look at Ietsuna. 

"Do you want me to get a walking stick for you? I have lots of them at home."

"I don't think that's necessary, Aratani. Why on earth you have lots of them?"

"I have no idea. My father collected them from his friend's wood factory. The school trip this year involves hiking or climbing. Are you sure your ankle can handle it?"

"I am fine. If not, I won't be coming to school today."

"...I thought you said you would join because Kikuchi refused to take over your place."

"...maybe, but I don't want to miss this trip," Ietsuna smiled. "

"You are pretty stubborn, Sawada."

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

* * *

The school hours ended late and most of the students went back home. Ietsuna was grabbing his bag from his table and Hatanaka called out for him with his rude tone. 

"Hey, you."

Ietsuna was not looking at him and he was certain that the boy was calling him as only both of them in the classroom. 

"What can I do to help you, Hatanaka?"

"You come to school as if nothing had happened. You didn't tell anyone about the gangster group. What are you up to?"

"...you want me to report it to the principal?"

"Look, if you did, I will have to-"

"Kill me?"

Ietsuna turned around and he had a serious look on his face. He was not taken aback by Hatanaka's threat. 

"I am aware of my situation but if we keep quiet about it, no one will know. Even your seniors."

"I might tell them about you, Sawada. Aren't you afraid that I would do that?"

"You have been entrusted with the task of eliminating anyone who knows about the gangster group. If you tell them, then they assumed that you are weak and you have to rely on their strength to eliminate me."

"I...I'm not weak!!" Hatanaka yelled. "I will make sure that you will die in my hands right now!!"

He threw a punch at his face and Ietsuna simply blocked the punch with his arm. He went forward and hit Hatanaka's chin with his other elbow, causing the other to tumble and groaning in pain. 

"I don't want to fight with you, Hatanaka. I'm giving you a chance."

"C-chance? What the hell are you talking about?"

Ietsuna did not answer his question and he walked out from the classroom, leaving the other feeling nothing but clueless.


	22. doubt

_**"I'm sorry, madam. Your husband has been arrested for committing a serious crime."** _

He was only four years old and he was in his room, watching a man talking to his mother in the living room. He was seen wearing a black kinagashi and he looked like he came from a noble family. There was no sign of his father around and there was a mixed reaction in his mother's face. She was not sure if she should be feeling glad or sad. 

What happened to his father? What did it mean by arrested? What he had done?

**_"What happened to the assault victim?"_ **

**_"He is in the hospital receiving treatment. He is safe for now."_ **

**_"I see. Thank you so much for the information."_ **

The man stood up and left the house as his mother went to close the door. She turned around and she saw him in his room. She approached him and she knelt to hug her son who was still confused with the situation.

**_"Masato, from now on, it'll only be two of us in this house. Your father will have to stay in another place for the rest of his life."_ **

He did not know what to say as he was still too young to know what had happened to his father.

His mother started to work hard to support a family of two. She was rarely at home because of work and never had time for her son.

He had been frequently bullied by the children and he secretly learnt some martial art skills from his father's good friend. Thanks to him, the children were beaten and he had no reason to run away.

He was impressed and he could not wait to show his father his fighting skills. After all, he and his father were very close. Much closer compared to his mother.

He had been waiting for years to see his father and he had been asking his mother when he would return.

**_"Masato, please stop asking me when he will return. I'm busy with my work."_ **

His mother's face was as cold as ice when he mentioned his father. Like any other innocent child, he always thought that his parents loved each other.

It was when he reached at the age of twelve, he once saw his mother walking out with another man and they looked happy. He thought he was just a friend until his mother told him that he would be his new father.

**_"But...what about father? Are you forgetting about him?"_ **

**_"Masato, your father will never return home. This man will be your new father and I'm sure you will like him better than your useless father."_ **

He grew angry. Someone had insulted his father. His mother had insulted his father.

This man would not replace his beloved father.

Without hesitation, he went to kick and punch the man much to his mother's horror.

_**"I want my father!! I don't want a new father!! No one can replace my father's place!!"** _

_**"M-Masato!! Stop it!!!"** _

The man was horrified and he quickly escaped from the house. The man no longer wanted to talk to his mother and he had resigned from his job to avoid seeing her again. His mother was angry and accused her son of destroying her life.

**_"You want to follow your father's footsteps?! Fine!! Go and stay with him!! Like father like son!!!"_ **

She kicked him out of the house and he had nowhere to stay. He ended up staying with his father's good friend and he had improved his karate skills.

He soon heard rumours about the gangster group recruitment and he was interested to join.

Hanging out with his seniors felt like a home to him. He began to pick on weak students and he had earned his seniors and the gang members' trust.

He was doing so well. Yet, this was the time he was hesitant.

**_"If someone knows about it, force them to join our group or...eliminate them."_ **

It was a simple order from his seniors. Some helpless students were forced to join after they accidentally knew the secret.

It was so easy. And yet, he could not do anything to eliminate Sawada Ietsuna.

This brat. He heard too much. He rather die than to live to hurt people. So, he must be killed.

But this brat was different from any other helpless students.

**_"You have been entrusted with the task of eliminating anyone who knows about the gangster group. If you tell them, then they assumed that you are weak and you have to rely on their strength to eliminate me."_ **

No, he was not weak. The seniors knew him better.

**_"I don't want to fight with you, Hatanaka. I'm giving you a chance."_ **

He was angrier than before. What was Sawada Ietsuna thinking?

"Hey, Hatanaka. Where's the protection fees you've collected?"

He snapped from his thoughts and he looked at his seniors. He took out the money and gave it to them.

"You are spacing out. Is there anything wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just that...I caught another student who found out about the gangster group."

"What?? For real??"

"Did you do what we told you to do with them?"

"I know. I'm trying to find that student since he managed to run away from school."

The seniors looked like they were losing their trust in him. He quickly bowed to them as he spoke.

"Please forgive me for my negligence. I will make sure to do something about them-"

"Don't be afraid, Hatanaka. We believe that you can do it. Once you are done with them, please report it to us."

"I will do it. I will not disappoint all of you."

The seniors soon leaving the school area and Hatanaka was clenching his fists.

No matter what happens, he must eliminate Sawada Ietsuna.

* * *

Yoshinobu went to his son's room that night and he saw him sleeping on his bed. Ietsuna was done with the school work and his books were stacked on his table before he went to sleep. 

He carefully touched his son's head and the swell had become smaller. He went to check his ankle and he was glad to know that his ligament was a little overstretched. 

He remembered that he was shocked to see Ietsuna's condition when he returned home with his new friend, Yamamoto Takeo. After bringing Ietsuna to his room. Takeo fully explained the whole story about Ietsuna's injuries and Yoshinobu was thankful for his help. 

Though he seemed to notice some similarity of Takeo with someone. 

**_"Takeo, do you happen to have a family member named Asari Kazuhiro?"_ **

**_"Oh, I do have. He's my maternal granduncle. Do you know him?"_ **

He was surprised to hear Takeo's answer and it looked like the Asari family was doing well. He wanted Takeo to stay for dinner as thanks for saving his son but the boy had to decline it as his parents were waiting for him at home.

**_"I would love to but my parents are waiting. Maybe next time, Mr Sawada."_ **

After the boy left, Yoshinobu went to see his son and Ietsuna seemed to feel uncomfortable with his ankle. He realised that the bandage around his ankle was too tight and it gave more pain to his son. 

Why would the doctor do that to Ietsuna? Was it because she still hated him and she decided to lash her hatred to his son?

He had to unwrap the bandage and get some cold cloth to cover his ankle before he tried to find a way to reduce the pain at Ietsuna's ankle and head. 

Something came across his mind. He quickly went to his room and he took out Yoshimune's old journal. Yoshinobu did remember that his father had once written down some remedies for swelling, inflammation and some minor injuries. 

Some remedies also came from Ieyasu's knowledge and experience. 

Yoshinobu took some time to prepare a simple remedy and he used it to rub on both Ietsuna's ankle and head. As he was done, he carefully wrapped his ankle with a new bandage. 

Not too loose and not too tight. 

**_"Feeling much better, Ietsuna?"_ **

**_"...yes...thank you so much, father..."_ **

Ietsuna was having a good sleep and Yoshinobu left his bedroom. 

He thought of the doctor. He was still angry at Ryoko for insulting Reiko (his wife and Ryoko's sister) and thinking of how she treated Ietsuna made him angrier than before. 

_"I would punch her if I want to-"_

No. 

He shook his head. She was Reiko's older sister. Despite Ryoko's cold attitude, Reiko still loved her as she was her family member. 

After his grandfather passed away, he left the gangster group and he later dated with Reiko for the first time. Her parents accepted him but not her older sister. Ryoko heard of him and she always had her disgusted look on her face whenever he came over to their house. 

**_"Ryoko, let's have dinner together."_ **

**_"Hell no. I want to study for my upcoming exam."_ **

**_"But, we have a guest today-"_ **

**_"I know who's that guest! Is it that bloody gangster again?? Sure he is!"_ **

**_"His name is Sawada Yoshinobu. Don't ever call him like that again."_ **

**_"I don't get it! Why would you fall in love with that violent boy? Many other boys are much better than him!"_ **

**_"He saved my life and I helped him to stand up. I know he is involved with the fight but I can tell that he is a good person."_ **

**_"Good person?? Reiko, a gangster will always remain a gangster! That boy will never change and I don't want you to end up like his punching bag! Didn't you see our neighbour's fate after marrying a gangster??"_ **

**_"I understand him, Ryoko. That is why I decided to stay by his side."_ **

Yoshinobu and Reiko soon married and Ryoko was not attending their wedding ceremony. Ryoko gave lots of excuses such as she needed to sit for her important exam and the transportation cost to return to Japan was expensive. 

Even when Reiko had suffered an unknown illness, he did not regret marrying her. 

She was patient to him. She guided him to the correct path. She was at his side when he was crying in front of Ieyasu's grave. 

He felt like his grandfather had welcomed Reiko as a part of the family. 

For the sake of Reiko, he had to remain patient if he ever talked to Ryoko. As long as Ietsuna was safe, it was fine. 

* * *

"I'm home, granny!"

"Welcome home, Hatsuka!"

She was carrying a lot of things and she placed all of it in her bedroom. Since Hanako already left to stay with their parents to pursue her studies, Hatsuka took her sister's space for herself. 

Hanako left a lot of books for her to study and Hatsuka had to arrange it all over again. 

"Hatsuka, dinner is almost ready! Be sure to come out and help me!"

"Alright, granny!"

She quickly placed all the books on the shelf and some small notebooks in the drawer. She saw a white envelope and a few pieces of paper with her sister's name on it much to her surprise.

"What is this? A love letter?" Hatsuka snorted with amusement. "I didn't know big sister had an admirer."

She wanted to keep it away when she saw some suspicious words such as bullies, death and...the Boxing Club. 

She read it thoroughly and her face was as pale as a sheet of white paper. She remembered that she and Ietsuna had saved the boy from the bullies two years ago and he wrote a letter to Hanako to expose some secret. 

The gangster group was still recruiting new members secretly despite the incident that happened four years ago. The boss was not someone from the school.

Why her sister did not want to tell her about it?

**_"You are not a police officer, Hatsuka. You are no match against them. If anything happens to you, how am I going to explain to our parents?"_ **

Hatsuka was not satisfied. She knew her sister was protecting her but she could not let it happen. She wanted to tell Ietsuna about it before she shook her head. 

"Ietsuna must not know about this. I don't want to endanger him."

She put all the papers in the same white envelope and she placed it in her bag. She had decided to tell this matter to Satoshi on the next day of school. 


	23. trip

The students who were joining the school trip arrived at the school ground earlier than usual. Four teachers in charge were waiting at the bus as they were taking the students' attendance. Ietsuna looked around and he found out that there were fifteen students and all of them were in the same year as he was. 

"Are we the only third years going for the school trip?" Ietsuna asked Aratani curiously. 

"Students from the first year to the third year are going for hiking," Aratani answered. "We are the one who will go to a further place to hike while others will go to the nearest place to hike. That is why we are earlier than them."

"I see," Ietsuna replied. "I wonder where we would be hiking. This is the first time for me."

"Some of us here are the same as you," Aratani added. "I can't wait to see the waterfall because I want to meditate under the waterfall."

"...I thought you want to go there for a swim."

"Move aside, brat!" 

Ietsuna heard a loud voice and Hatanaka simply pushed him away so that he could place his large bag in front of the bus. 

"Hatanaka, that is rude of you," Aratani frowned at him. 

"Rude?" Hatanaka glared at her. "He's the one blocking my way!"

"You-"

"It's fine, Aratani," Ietsuna spoke out. "Don't waste your energy arguing with him."

She was about to respond when one of the teachers called out for her. She went to the teachers, leaving Ietsuna and Hatanaka who were still staring at each other. 

"I'm not done with you yet, Sawada. Mark my words that I will eliminate you with my own hands so that you won't go around and tell anyone about the secret."

"...is this a threat?"

"What do you think it is?" Hatanaka gave an evil grin. "Going hiking with you is my perfect chance to-"

"Look, if you want to eliminate me so badly, why you didn't do it earlier?" Ietsuna frowned. "I want to have a holiday in peace, not fighting with you." 

"Why you refuse to fight with me, Sawada?" Hatanaka asked. "If you value your life, you can join my gang. Don't you know that with your potential, you can help my boss to regain his power?"

"I...I told you, I don't want to fight-"

"Hey, Sawada!"

Takeo came to them with his bright smile. Ietsuna felt glad that he was coming over and Hatanaka was angrier than before. 

"Takeo, are you going for the trip too?" asked Ietsuna. 

"Well, yes. I didn't know that you are coming too," Takeo grinned and he glanced to look at Hatanaka. "Oh, hello, old friend. Looks like you are chosen for the school trip again."

"Get lost, Yamamoto," Hatanaka growled. "I need to speak to this brat."

"And what if I don't want to go?" Takeo said cooly. "I'm not going to allow you to hurt my friend and you should be thankful that I did not report to the teachers for assaulting Sawada that day." 

"...Fine! Have it your way!"

Hatanaka walked off while muttering, getting his bag into the bus. Takeo sighed and he clapped Ietsuna's shoulder to calm him down. 

"Is he bothering you again, Sawada? So it's true that he did not want to let you go after defeating him." 

"Yes, he's still not satisfied and he wants a rematch," Ietsuna sighed. "I mean, I don't like to fight. I only did it because I want to protect myself."

"I understand. But, he's not going to bully you with teachers around. If they found out that he's causing trouble again, the principal would not hesitate to expel him from school."

"Expel?"

"A student would get suspended for three times and the fourth time as a final warning before they were expelled. The principal had been suspending him for many times because he wanted to give him a chance to change since Hatanaka is an intelligent student."

"...I see."

The teachers soon telling the students to assemble and get inside the bus. Aratani was sitting with Ietsuna and Hatanaka was seated far away from Ietsuna's spot. Takeo was sitting opposite from him and he had been explaining about exciting places to visit in the town. Ietsuna later learnt that Takeo had been almost all the places because of his sword style training.

It was a two-hour ride from school to a famous rural town. Most of the adventurous hikers would come to a rural town to hike across the mountains, hills and forests. For the sake of students' safety, the teachers only allow them to hike in a marked area. 

"The inn is located above the hill and you will need to start walking from this spot to the top of the hill," one of the teachers pointed his finger at the checkpoint spot and to the hill. "Once we reach the inn, we will have an hour break before we can continue to hike to the waterfall." 

"What? We have to walk?" one of the third-year students groaned. "I thought we could rest in the inn before we could go hiking." 

"You rest enough in the bus," another teacher spoke out with his stern tone. "This is a great start to move your body around. Now, stand in one line and make it quick!"

The students were given a wooden staff and they were standing in one line. Two teachers would stand in front of the line while the other two teachers would stand at the end of the line to ensure no students would get lost while hiking. 

The first three metres felt like an easy walk for the students until they slowly using up their energy to hike on the uphill. Ietsuna used the wooden staff to support himself so that he would not put more pressure on his ankle. Some other students already panting and they started to use the wooden staff to walk.

It took them about twenty minutes to reach the inn and the students were out of energy after hiking on the hill. Ietsuna found a bench and he sat on it, feeling exhausted while wiping off the sweat from his face. 

"Is it fun hiking at the hill?"

Takeo asked while giving him a glass of water to drink. Ietsuna smiled as he took it and drank the water. He felt a little refreshed and he realised that Takeo was still energetic. 

"Do you often go hiking, Takeo? You are not as tired as any of us."

"I'm used to it. I followed my master along with his other students to go hiking at different places," Takeo answered. "Aside from building the stamina, I could learn the sword style in different environments."

"I...I see..." Ietsuna felt embarrassed. "I'm not as athletic as you and anyone else, so I'm getting tired easily..."

"You did great, Sawada," Takeo smiled. "If we continue to hike for three days, I bet you will be more energetic than before."

"Wait...we'll hike for three days??"

"Yes," Aratani answered as soon she joined them. "We are staying here for three days two nights. We are hiking on the hill and to the waterfall today. Then to the forest on the second day and to the small village on the last day before we return to school." 

"...I'd rather cook than going hiking," Ietsuna sighed.

"Cheer up, hiking is pretty fun especially if you go with friends," Takeo said brightly. "I'm more thrilled when I heard that you will be joining for this school trip."

"I have a great idea," Aratani took out a camera. "We'll take more pictures and then showed it to our classmates. We can make Dohachiro feel jealous since he's not chosen for the school trip."

"Maybe not, Aratani," Ietsuna laughed. "Fine, I'll hike as much as I can if I want to. If only I could bring my father along."

"You can bring him to hike on weekends. Or summer holidays," Takeo suggested. 

"His father is a single parent," Aratani explained. "He rarely takes a break from work."

"I see. I'm sorry about your mother, Sawada."

"It's alright. You didn't know," said Ietsuna. "Uncle Katsuya once dragged my father to the hot springs during the winter holiday because he found out that he had been working overtime for a few days."

"Really?" Takeo's eyes blinked with surprise. "Looks like you need to bring him out more often."

The teachers approached the students and reminding them to put their belongings in their respective rooms before getting ready to hike to the waterfall.

Compared from their previous hiking, the inn to the waterfall was much further. From the starting point, they need to cross the bridge and the route followed a branch river that descended from the mountains. 

The students and teachers were amazed by the views from the bridge they were standing. Ietsuna wished that he brought along a camera and Aratani would take more pictures so that she could give some photos to him. 

As they continued to hike, the trail got a little bit difficult and the path is only enough for one person to walk. The whole hike took about forty minutes before they finally reached the waterfall. 

The students placed their bags at one spot and they went to the river either for a swim or looking for pretty rocks. Some male students went to the waterfall and they were playing around, causing Aratani to forget about meditation. 

Ietsuna was indeed exhausted after the hike but he felt more relaxed. He was glad that he could join the school trip with his friends. 

* * *

On their second day, the students were hiking in the forest and the teachers decided to divide the students into five groups. Each group were assigned to write the report based on their observation from different parts of the forest. 

Ietsuna was in the same group with Takeo and unfortunately, Hatanaka. They soon went to look around the forest and they were thinking what were they supposed to write. Ietsuna was feeling uncomfortable with Hatanaka around until the larger boy asked him with a smirk on his face. 

"What's wrong, Sawada? Are you afraid?"

"...what makes you think of that?"

"I can see that from your face. You are probably afraid of being eaten alive by...the bears."

"Stop that joke, Hatanaka," Takeo said while frowning. "There are no bears in this place or the authorities would not even want to let anyone go hiking here."

"But what if there is a bear around here?" Hatanaka's smirk grew wider. "If it is here, I bet it would catch Sawada first."

"Hatanaka, that's enough," Ietsuna glared at him. "Don't force me to do something I don't want to do."

"Like what? Fighting against me?"

"...you know you don't want me to do this."

Ietsuna's eyes were serious and Hatanaka knew what he meant. He clenched his jaw and when he tried to grab his jacket collar, Takeo immediately moved his hand away from Ietsuna.

"Hatanaka, can you just stop causing more trouble? Do you hate Sawada because he had defeated you two years ago?"

"Shut your trap, Yamamoto!" he yelled at him. "If you don't want to get punched, move aside! This is between me and him!"

Ietsuna wanted to stop them from arguing until he felt something was off. He slowly looked around and aside from their angry voices, the forest was too quiet. 

_"No. Something is wrong. Where are we? Why? Why I had this bad feeling? Why?"_

He frowned. He could not tell what was wrong and his eyes were looking on the ground. 

His face went pale. His eyes widened with horror. He could not believe what he had seen. 

A bear's large paw print. It was new. 

And yet, both of them were still arguing. 

"SHUT UP, BOTH OF YOU!"

Takeo and Hatanaka immediately stopped arguing and they were looking at him. Ietsuna took a few seconds to realise that he had shouted at them. 

He did not know what he was doing. He would never shout at anyone- Why would he did it?

"I'm...so...sorry..." he muttered. "I really don't mean to...shout. But...we are now in danger..."

"Danger?" Hatanaka asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Sawada? What's happening here?" Takeo asked with his worried look. 

"We...we need to get out...of here...right now."


	24. determination

**_"How do you feel right now?"_ **

**_"A little better. I feel bad for having Mrs Tanaka to cook for me."_ **

**_"She heard about your injury and she did not want to do the cooking while you are resting."_ **

**_"I'm going to thank her later. She really helped us a lot."_ **

**_"Ietsuna, can I ask you something?"_ **

**_"What is it, father?"_ **

**_"What is the name of the boy who tried to attack you?"_ **

_**"Uh, well..."** _

**_"I won't go and look for him, Ietsuna. If that's you are worried about."_ **

**_"Father, how did you know what-"_ **

**_"You're thinking? Of course I know. I can tell by your expression."_ **

**_"I see. That boy is one of my classmates. His name is Hatanaka Masato. He tried to hurt me because...he was not happy that I defeated him two years ago."_ **

_**"Defeated him?"** _

**_"He tried to hurt Sakaguchi and I had to stop him. That's all. I didn't expect him to keep his 'grudge' until now."_ **

**_"...He's so much like his father."_ **

**_"His father? You know his father?"_ **

**_"Yes, I know his father since we were in high school. I'm not proud to say this but...I was a part of a gangster group."_ **

**_"W-what? You were...a part of the gangster group?? I mean...why?"_ **

**_"Long story but I left the gang after...after I dated with your mother. I was in Katsuya's gang and everyone was afraid of us. And then, Hatanaka Ryota came and challenged us. Katsuya told me that Ryota was the strongest fighter in the school and the most problematic delinquent. It was a deadly fight. This scar across my left eye was the result of that fight."_ **

**_"Then...did you win?"_ **

**_"I did. I was given the name Black Hawk after defeating Ryota."_ **

**_"I heard from Takeo that Hatanaka's father was arrested for assaulting someone. His father's imprisonment was the reason why he was rebellious."_ **

**_"Ryota found me after I visited your grandfather in the hospital. He brought his followers to fight against me. I managed to defeat him again and well, he stabbed my chest with a knife."_ **

_**"He...he did?"** _

_**"I lost so much blood and Katsuya managed to save me. He reported to the police and he was arrested."** _

_**"Father, I...I don't know what to say..."** _

**_"I did not want you to learn martial arts because I feared that you would follow my path. No matter what happens, violence will never be a solution to any problem."_ **

Ietsuna at first could not believe that his father was a part of the gangster group until he saw the scar at his father's left eye. He had seen it many times but he never knew it came from the deadly fight between his father and Hatanaka's father. 

Hatanaka gave him a chance to join the gangster group. He did not want it. He would never want to hurt people. 

He promised his father that he would never follow his darkest path.

If his father could change, then he firmly believed that Hatanaka could change as well. It was the reason why he did not report it to the teachers or principal about it.

Ietsuna, Takeo and Hatanaka were trying to find a way out to avoid being caught by a wild bear. The other two were silent and their face was pale when Ietsuna showed them the fresh large paw print from the ground. They had been walking around for fifteen minutes to look for the exit. They still have ten minutes to return to their teachers. 

If they were late, the teachers would be worried and assumed that they were lost. Or they probably had become the bear's dinner. 

"How can you be sure that it is the bear's paw print?" Hatanaka muttered as he glanced around. "It's just a sick joke. It can't be a bear..."

"That paw print is pretty large," Takeo replied. "What kind of animal that has a paw as big as a bear?"

"Tigers? Lions?" Hatanaka answered. "It could be other animals."

"Tigers and lions' paw are smaller and different from bears," Ietsuna quickly answered. "We have to leave before-"

"Sawada, how did you know that there are bears around?" Hatanaka stopped walking. "Are you being too afraid after I joked about bears eating you? It must be a stupid prank made by the adults to scare the children away."

Ietsuna wanted to answer but he felt that Hatanaka had a point. It could be a prank to scare the children away. His mind was telling him otherwise. It was not safe to stay longer and they needed to leave. 

"I...I don't know..." Ietsuna grew confused. "I...I just feel like...we need to run away."

"Calm down, Sawada," Takeo held his shoulders tightly. "There's nothing to be afraid of. If there are bears around, the authorities would not let anyone hike here. After all, maybe it is a prank as said by Hatanaka."

"Takeo, I..." he shook his head. "You...you don't understand. I want to think it's just a prank but...something is telling me...it's not like that..."

"Alright, I get it!" Hatanaka said loudly and he picked up some stones. "I'm going to throw the stones at different spots. If there's a roar, then we will run."

"You can't do that!" Ietsuna yelled at him. "You are hurting them!"

"It's the only way we could see if there are any bears around," Hatanaka replied. 

"Yeah and if you do that, we would be dead before we could run," Takeo frowned. 

The three went silent once again when they heard a loud roar. They slowly turned around and they saw a large brown bear approaching towards them. 

They could not think fast and they quickly run away. The bear noticed their presence and it started to run to them. 

"Looks like that bear's going to eat us!" Hatanaka shouted with his terrified look. 

"Don't shout!" Takeo said loudly. "We're going to attract his attention!"

"They already know!" Hatanaka replied. "We need to run away from them!!"

They escaped from the forest and they were in a flat rocky area. As they could not stop running, Hatanaka fell from the cliff and Ietsuna managed to grab his arm. Takeo wanted to help but when he saw the bear approaching, he had to divert its attention by letting himself being chased, leaving Ietsuna to save Hatanaka. 

Ietsuna could feel his arms almost breaking but he refused to let go of Hatanaka's hands. 

"Let me off, Sawada."

"N-no, I can't do that. I...I'm going to pull you up..."

"Just let me go! If I die, those seniors can forget about me! And they won't look for you-"

"I'm not going to let you die!" Ietsuna shouted at him. 

"I tried to kill you and yet, you want to save me! Why are you doing this to me?!"

"I'm giving you another chance to change!!" 

Hatanaka was stunned and he could see the determined look from Ietsuna's eyes. He thought he saw it wrongly as he remembered that Ietsuna had heterochromia eyes. One was brown and one was strangely orange in colour. 

However, both were orange. What had happened to his other brown eyes? Was it an illusion?

"M-my father was once a gangster...and his involvement had destroyed part of his life," Ietsuna explained. "He soon left...to return to the right path. If...if he can change...then so do you..."

"...Sawada, is that why...you refused to join the gangster group?"

"My father did not raise me to hurt people...but to be kind to others..."

Hatanaka felt worse as a human. He later realised that he adored someone who went around to hurt people. It was the reason why his mother never wanted to talk about his father after his imprisonment. 

_**"You want to follow your father's footsteps?! Fine!! Go and stay with him!! Like father like son!!!"** _

His mother never loved his father. She only wanted to avoid her son from following her useless husband's path. 

Hatanaka did not want to end his life. He wanted to fix the damage he had done. 

"Sawada, try to pull me up a little higher..."

"I...I'm trying..."

"Keep on trying! If you do, I'll be able to put my hands on the cliff! Hurry!"

Ietsuna was trying to pull with all his strength but he was almost out of breath to do so. 

**"You can do this, Sawada Ietsuna."**

He heard a mysterious voice from his head. He never heard it before but the voice was as soft as his grandfather's voice. Who was it?

He gave a strong, final pull and Hatanaka managed to place his hands on the cliff, climbing out from the cliff with his remaining energy. 

Both of them collapsed on the ground and they were exhausted. Ietsuna's arms were sore and he did not care. He was smiling as he let out a small laugh. 

"What's...so funny, Sawada?" Hatanaka asked with his tired tone. 

"...nothing..." he replied and there was a relieved look on his face. "I'm so glad...that you are safe, Hatanaka..."

"...you are crazy. First, you saved someone who is about to kill you. And now..." he sighed loudly. "...I have nothing to say about you..."

"It's fine...can you believe that we were almost going to be eaten by a bear...?"

"...I don't want to think about it..."

"Wait...I need to save Takeo-"

"Don't worry about Yamamoto...he knows what to do if he encounters a bear..."

"He knows?"

"He's well trained by his master. He will come to us soon enough..."

"...I see..."

"Sawada?"

"Yes?"

"...thank you...for saving my life..."

Ietsuna was glancing at him and Hatanaka was not looking at him. He only had an amused smile on his face as he looked at the sky. 

"You are welcome, Hatanaka."

* * *

The teachers were worried after the three of them did not return for almost an hour and Takeo had to explain their disappearance. The innkeeper was horrified to know about the bear's presence and she would inform the authorities to seal the area for the sake of the hikers' safety. 

Aratani was highly surprised that Hatanaka no longer wanted to try hurting Ietsuna and Takeo was glad to hear that. 

The three of them were much more tired than other students and the teachers decided to let them rest earlier as facing the bear was too much for them to handle. 

On the last day of the trip, the students were hiking to the small village and the teachers explained that they could buy some souvenirs before returning home. 

Some shops in the small village were selling some traditional snacks, handmade crafts and other things. The students went to buy as much as they could and most of them wanted to buy more for their family members. 

Ietsuna was buying some snacks that he never saw before so that he could give his father, Hatsuka and Mrs Tanaka to try it out. He even bought a hair clip for Hatsuka and Aratani was grinning from behind. 

"Buying it for a girl?"

"No, I'm giving this to Hatsuka. I thought of buying one for Hanako but she already left to study."

"You can pass it to Hatsuka. She will give it to her sister if she ever returns here."

"I guess you are right."

"Why would Hatanaka buy something? I thought he doesn't want to."

"He wants to give it to his guardian and his mother."

"Really?"

"That's what he told me last night. He wants to try to reconcile with his mother."

"Did the bear eat his brain? I swear that might happen..."

"Let's just say, that bear's presence made him rethink of his life," Ietsuna grinned. "We need to be quick before the teacher tells us to assemble."

Once the students were done with shopping, they returned to the inn and packing up their bags before they were hiking downhill where the bus was waiting to fetch them back to school. 

Ietsuna was sitting with Aratani once again and the students were still talking excitedly. Some of them were falling asleep and Ietsuna was feeling sleepy as well. After all the hiking and the encounter with a bear, it was something that he would not forget. 

_"What about that voice? Who was talking to me?"_

He had been thinking all day but he could not find the answer about the mysterious voice. A soft and a kind voice. The voice that reminded him of his late grandfather. 

His eyelids drooped and he slowly fell asleep with his head against the bus window. 


	25. discern

"The sum of three times a number and two less than four times that same number is 61. Write an equation and solve to determine the value of the unknown number."

Hatanaka was staying in the classroom along with Sakaguchi, Ietsuna, Aratani, Kikuchi Ayaka and Dohachiro. They needed his help to improve their Mathematic subject and Hatanaka was good at it. He gave them some simple questions for them to answer and Aratani managed to answer all of it once she understood the methods of solving. 

"Ugh, I thought Maths only involves numbers!" Sakaguchi snapped and he hit his head on the table. "This is so complicated!"

"I'd rather learn literature than all this crap," Kikuchi complained. "Why all the alphabets in Maths?"

"You can't escape from Maths," Dohachiro gave a smug look. "Maths and Science are important subjects and if you fail both, you can never step into senior high school."

"It is important to you because you want to be a doctor," Aratani replied. "Just like your idol."

"Exactly! Do you know that doctor Takahashi once become popular when she created-"

"Stop, stop, I don't want to know more about that rude doctor," Sakaguchi interrupted. "I'll be happier if you start talking about baseball."

"How about less talk and more work," said Hatanaka with his annoyed look. "Sawada, did you manage to answer all the questions?"

"...only one," Ietsuna muttered. 

"Only one?"

"...I don't understand anything about algebra," Ietsuna covered his face with his hands. "Why is it so hard to understand??"

"See?" Dohachiro pointed his finger at Ietsuna. "I told you Sawada cheated in the previous exam."

"One more word about that and I will rip your mouth from your face."

Hatanaka had a fierce look on his face and the bespectacled boy immediately went silent. Kikuchi and Sakaguchi shivered as soon as they heard his threat and Aratani only let out a small sigh. 

"There's no need to do that, Hatanaka. But honestly, Dohachiro, stop with your nonsense accusations. It's no wonder you don't have friends."

"...whatever," Dohachiro stood up and packing his things in his bag. "I'm done and I need to go home quickly. It's late today."

He left the classroom without bothering to say goodbye to them. They did not mind and they resumed with their work until Kikuchi had to leave to help her mother buying some things from the market. Minutes later after Kikuchi left, Sakaguchi had to go for his baseball training and that only left Ietsuna and Aratani with Hatanaka. 

"I think I'm going to write some small notes on how to solve the algebra equations," Hatanaka suggested. "If you follow some simple steps, you will be able to solve any of it."

"Thank you, Hatanaka," Ietsuna added. "I'm glad that you are good at this subject."

"Well, not really good. My guardian taught me ever since I started to stay at his place."

"Speaking of your guardian, have you ever talked to your mother?" Aratani asked.

"I...haven't start to talk to her. But my guardian would try to help me. I visited my father last week and I heard that he's been horrible to other prisoners," Hatanaka sighed. "He never changed until now."

"But you did," Ietsuna smiled. "Don't rush and give some time for you and your mother."

"I know. I'll try."

Ietsuna soon excused himself to go to the washroom. As soon he was done, he was walking back to his classroom until he heard a conversation between doctor Takahashi and a trainee doctor from senior high school, doctor Sugawara in the school infirmary.

"Why do you want to come here? Don't you have something to do?"

"Today is my last day. The school principal from senior high school already found someone to take over my place. I'll be off to my university to complete my studies."

"Alright. Are you here to say goodbye to me?"

"Why are you being so cold? I'm here to see my senior, that's all."

"I'm doing fine here. I'm placing all the students' health records back in the shelf."

"Oh, you're going to prepare for the upcoming health check?"

"Yes, I am- Sorry, I dropped the files."

"Want me to help?"

"No thanks. Ugh, this Sawada..."

"Sawada?"

"Yes, this health record belongs to Sawada Ietsuna. He came here a few times because of his broken nose, fever, cold and even sprained ankle."

"Boys will be boys, senior. I've seen worse than this boy."

"I just feel irritated whenever I see this name."

"Why? Did he do anything wrong to you?"

The conversation had slowly caught Ietsuna's attention and he went a little nearer to listen. He began to feel uncomfortable. 

"I...I don't like him. Especially his damn father. I knew his father when we were in high school years ago. His father was a gangster."

"For real?"

"Yes. I was returning home from school when I saw a group of boys including him beating up other boys. I yelled at them and I demand them to apologise to the victims. They laughed and they proceed to tear my books and dirtied my things. I remember their faces and I proceed to report this matter to the principal and all he said that he would try to handle it. Nothing happens and I saw those boys trying to escape from school. I warned them that I would report it to the teacher until that Sawada came by and shoved me on the ground. He threatened me to keep quiet about it or he would rip my head apart."

"Oh, my...he did?"

"Why would I lie? I started to hate him and I could not believe that he was currently dating with my younger sister. I told her many times that he's a dangerous boy but she refused to leave him. She did not understand that I've been worrying about her even after her marriage. I've received a letter from her and she told me that she was pregnant and I was in shock. She was not supposed to have a baby because of her illness she suffered. So I wrote back to her and I told her to abort the baby no matter what happened."

"You...told your sister to abort the child? Why would you think of that? Maybe it's her choice to have a baby."

"I know her better than anyone else. She would not risk her life. I want to become a doctor because I want to find a cure for her unknown illness. And you know what happened? My sister died after giving birth. This made me hate him and his son even more than before."

"Uh, senior. I think you're going too far."

"I bet he forced her to have a baby. He must be proud to have a son. He never knew that he traded someone's life for his selfishness-"

They immediately stopped talking when they heard someone sobbing from outside. The trainee doctor went out and she saw the blond boy standing beside the infirmary and he was crying. The doctor came out as well and her face immediately went white when she saw Ietsuna. 

"Oh, dear. Are you alright?" the trainee doctor asked with concern. "Are you sick?"

Ietsuna shook his head and he had been wiping the tears from his eyes. He felt hurt after what he had heard from the doctor.

"Then, why are you crying?"

He did not answer her question and he turned to look at the doctor. 

"What's with that look, Sawada? I don't think I owe you some money-"

"Doctor, I want you to look at my eyes," said Ietsuna. 

"Why should I? Is this some kind of a joke-"

"Just look at my eyes and I want you to rethink what you said about your sister."

He was frowning and there was a pained look from his eyes. The doctor was looking at it and she felt nothing. 

It was when she started to imagine Reiko's disappointed look after looking at Ietsuna's eyes for a longer time. She realised that Ietsuna and Reiko were similar to each other. 

She soon remembered the letter reply from her sister after telling her to abort her child. 

**_How could you say something like that to me, Ryoko? Even if Shin wanted a child, he would not want to do it because of my illness. I would die even if I was not pregnant and I would leave him behind.  
  
He was having a hard time to cope with his mother's death, his grandfather's death and his missing father. I want to give him something to remind him that I will always be at his side. My death is no one's fault. This is my decision. I hope you will keep that in mind._ **

The doctor was unable to say anything before Ietsuna spoke with his strained voice. 

"I am...completely fine if you hate me for causing...your sister's death. But, I...I want you to know that...this is all my mother's decision before she died. And...you do not have the absolute right to insult her decision..."

He did not wait for her to reply and he walked off. There was a silence between the doctors and doctor Sugawara let out a small sigh. 

"Senior, why do you want to be a doctor in the first place?"

"...to find a cure for my sister's illness."

"Are you sure about that?"

The doctor was not replying and she was in her own thought.

"Your intention to be a doctor because of your sister's illness was not a bad idea. However, you kept the grudge for too long that you have forgotten your true purpose. You always think that bad people would never change. I heard some complaint from the professors about you. At least I know why you had a hard time looking for a vacancy from all the hospitals."

"...May I know what's the reason?"

"You lack compassion."

"...Compassion?"

"Exactly. You may be the top student in medical school and you have discovered many cures for the common illnesses. However, you don't have any sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of other people. Whether they were patient or not."

Ryoko's heart was heavier and she secretly had to admit that her junior was right. 

She stubbornly assumed that Yoshinobu would not change because he was a gangster when he had already proven that he had become a good and a kind father to Ietsuna. 

It was not only the students from junior high school disliked her but also the students and the professors from her medical school. 

No matter how excellent her grades and her performances, the professor would not admit her success. 

**_"Ryoko, do you know that the patients were complaining about you?"_ **

**_"Why would they complain? I already treated them and they seemed to be fine."_ **

_**"Yes, you did treat them but you are being rude to them."** _

**_"Me? Rude? How is that so?"_ **

_**"One asked for a glass of water and you told them they don't need it. Another one just wanted to have a walk and you yelled at them for trying to run away from the hospital. And another one wanted to eat a plate of rice and you shouted at them for eating too many carbs. Are you really sure you want to be a doctor?"** _

_**"I...I just want to make sure they are in good health."** _

**_"Don't give me that excuse. What's the point of becoming a top student when you don't learn to understand the patients' needs?"_ **

She lowered her head and she always had thought that she did the right choice.

"Senior? Are you alright?"

"...I'm fine. Just, leave me alone. Nice meeting you today and good luck in your studies." 

The trainee doctor only nodded her head once and she left the infirmary. Ryoko was standing outside the infirmary for too long before she went in to pack her things. After placing the files on the shelf, she opened the desk drawer and she took out an old letter. 

The last letter she received before Reiko died. 

She took it out and read it all over again. Until when she reached the last page of the letter, she slammed the desk with her hand, feeling angry about herself. 

Yoshinobu was a bad person in the past. In the present, she was the worst compared to him. 

_Shin and I had decided a name for our baby boy. His name is Ietsuna. The next time you meet him, please be kind to him as a good aunt._  
  
Yours truly; Reiko


	26. apart

Katsuya was on the way to the Haneda airport with some of his followers. He was bringing Kouichi to the airport as it was time for his younger twin to return to China. As soon as they arrived, Katsuya ordered his followers to stay outside the airport while he accompanied his younger twin to the departure area. They still had some time before the boarding gate opened for the passengers and they sat at the nearby bench while waiting. 

It was Kouichi's third visit to Japan. 

"Are you planning to come back here, Kouichi?" Katsuya asked. 

"For a visit? I would," Kouichi answered casually. "But to live here, I doubt about it. Father is still mad at me for marrying someone who isn't Japanese."

"Yes, he was obsessed about getting more pure-blood heirs for the clan. He wanted you to leave your family behind and he would find another woman for you to marry."

"I would never leave my family behind," Kouichi said sternly. "If he wants more pure-blood heirs, how about telling our big brother or you to marry another woman and get more child for the clan?"

"Well, our old man tried," Katsuya gave a small smile. "Kenichi was the oldest and he should be the next to be the clan leader. No matter how many times he tried, he still doesn't have a child of his own. So our father gave the position to me as I have Satoshi."

"He still wants you to remarry because having only one heir is not enough," Kouichi added.

"True, but I refused."

"Katsuya, what if our father knows about that secret?"

"If he knew, does he have another choice?" Katsuya sighed. "I don't care if Amaya is not a pure-blood. She is the only woman I love."

Katsuya turned to look at the sky before he continued to talk. 

"Amaya's biological mother was once a famous geisha before she was being kicked out for committing a severe mistake. Some higher rank geishas found out that she was pregnant and later learnt that she had been in love with a Chinese man. Her mother thought she was finally free from the geisha world when her husband suddenly went missing without a trace. The stress slowly built inside her mind and soon blamed the child in her stomach for bringing bad luck in her life. When she attempted to throw the baby away, the married couple immediately stopped her from doing so before they later adopted the baby."

"How did you know about her past?"

"Amaya told me. When she started to get pregnant with our second child, she heard about my father's words about having pure-blood heirs in the family. She began to feel guilty for lying to me and she was expecting me to kick her out for being a half-blood, just like her mother being kicked out from the geisha house because of the mistake she committed. I told her that I would not do that because I loved her. She was doing fine after that and she safely gave birth to our second child. Everything was well until..."

"Until she...died?"

"Someone killed her. The worse part, Satoshi was with her."

Kouichi was speechless and there was a silence between them. 

"Is that why...you wanted me to take care of your youngest son?"

"I fear for his safety after Amaya died. The family was in chaos and Satoshi was still in shock. So, I have no choice but to let you be his temporary parent."

"Does Satoshi knows that he has a little brother?"

"No, I can't tell him yet. I...I need the right time to tell him the truth. Does your wife know about my youngest son?"

"She knows. I remembered when she tried to kill me with a vase after I brought a baby back to our house," Kouichi laughed. "Her sisters had to restrain her before I could explain to her."

"...she thought you are having an affair with another woman?"

"Yes, and after I told her everything, she hid in the storeroom, feeling embarrassed. But still, she treated your youngest son as her own child. He gets along well with my children and they looked at him as their older brother."

"I see. I'm glad to hear that."

"Since you did not give him a name back then, we decided to name him Fon (風)."

"Fon?"

Yes. I'm sorry if my wife and I named him first but you and Amaya never had that chance to give him a name after she...died. For the sake of his safety, I didn't add his true surname."

"It's fine. Better than letting anyone know that there is another Hibari heir to be annihilated."

The guards were prepared to open the boarding gate and the passengers started to walk through the gate. They stood up and Kouichi was ready to enter the gate when Katsuya called out for him.

"Kouichi."

"Yes?"

"Do not let anyone know about my youngest son. Not even my father. Kenichi must not know about Fon."

"I will not let anyone know, Katsuya."

"And...once Fon is old enough, you may tell him his true background. Once he knows, let him decide his future."

"I will tell him. Though I must let you know that you need to see him at least once. He needs to see how his real father looks like. "

"...I'll try."

Kouichi pats his shoulder and he walked through the gate after showing his ticket to the guard. Katsuya waited for a while before he left the airport where his followers were waiting for him. 

"Master Katsuya, where are going next?"

"Back to the house. I have something important to do. Any news from Kenichi?"

"It seems that he is still in the hospital with his second wife. He was anxiously waiting for her to give birth to a child."

"I see."

"Master, what shall we do? If he finally had a child, he might have a chance to take over your place."

"Do not ever do anything. He is as sly as a fox and he can find a tricky way to bring me down. You just need to keep an eye on Satoshi."

"Yes, master."

* * *

After finding out that doctor Takahashi had been his aunt all along, Ietsuna could not think well. He returned to the classroom and he could see Aratani and Hatanaka's surprised faces when they saw his swollen eyes. They had been asking why he was crying but he refused to answer anything to them. He simply packed his things and he told them that he had to return home quickly. 

As his father was having overtime work, he decided to prepare a simple dinner and placing it on the table before he went to his room, refusing to eat anything. All he needed to do was to finish his school work and he would go to sleep.

_"It was my fault she died."_

He was trying to concentrate to write his essay. He had a little more left to finish.

_"She died because of me."_

He was trying to think of a suitable idiom to fit in his written essay. After that, he could go to sleep. 

_"I took my mother's life."_

He slammed the pencil on the table loudly and he could not stop himself from crying again. He gave up finishing his school work and he went to bed, trying to sleep before his father found out that he was acting strangely.

He could sleep but his heart was still aching with pain. If he was not born, his father would be happier with his mother. 

* * *

"Sawada, are you really alright?"

Sakaguchi and Aratani were looking at him with their worried faces. Ietsuna realised that he did not finish some of his school work and he was scolded by the teachers. His mood dampened when he realised that he had forgotten to take his lunch box. 

"I'm...fine..." he tried to smile. "Please don't worry about me."

"Fine? This is the first time you did not finish your school work and get scolded by the teachers," said Sakaguchi hastily. "Don't tell me you forgot to bring your lunch box."

"...I did," Ietsuna muttered.

"What??" he exclaimed with shock. "Hold on. I'm going to take something from my bag."

"Sawada, you don't have to lie," said Aratani. "I'm sure something happened when Hatanaka and I saw your swollen eyes that day."

"I...It's nothing-"

"Here," Sakaguchi placed two packs of bread on his table. "My mom forgot to cook something for my lunch, so she gave me about five packs of bread to school."

"I...I'm not really hungry at the moment-"

"Sawada Ietsuna. Either you eat it or I'll treat you like a one-month-old baby."

Aratani's face darkened and Ietsuna gulped nervously. It was not wise to ignore her threat and he took one pack of bread to eat. He would not dare to tell her or Sakaguchi that he skipped dinner last night and breakfast this morning. 

"Are you going to tell us what happened to you?" Aratani asked. 

"I...I'm not comfortable to tell at this moment," said Ietsuna. "I'm sorry. Just...please give me some time."

"...Fine," Aratani sighed. "Honestly, you should go and see the school doctor. Your face looks pale as if you don't get enough sleep."

"Why don't you tell the teacher that you are not feeling well?" Sakaguchi asked curiously. "At least better than getting scolded for your lame excuse."

"It's just a small headache. It'll be over soon or later..." Ietsuna answered. 

"If I were you, I would go and see the school doctor."

Dohachiro spoke out in sudden and Sakaguchi let out a loud sigh. 

"Someone is not feeling well here. Just stop telling us your story about your beloved idol."

"Didn't you know that we're going to have a health check?" the bespectacled boy. "I can't wait to ask her lots of things. I want to know what it takes to be a doctor."

"Why would you be asking her on the health check day?" asked Aratani. "She's too busy for your interview."

"I can always find another time to ask her. Besides, it would be nice if she can tell me the secret of her success."

"I'd rather not going for the health check day."

Ietsuna spoke out and the others went quiet for a while. 

"I don't know but this health check is compulsory for every student," said Sakaguchi.

"I'm fine with is as long as it is not that doctor Takahashi in charge of the health check," Ietsuna replied shortly. 

"What's wrong with that doctor?" said Aratani. "I didn't know you don't like her."

"...I don't know..."

"Doctor Takahashi is the best one the school principal ever hired," Dohachiro said with a smug look. "You don't like her because she's an arrogant woman? What a lame excuse to skip the health check day."

Ietsuna stood up and he was glaring at Dohachiro who backed away nervously. 

"Lame excuse?" he pointed his finger at the bespectacled boy and he shouted angrily at him. "She is the one who told my mother to abort the baby!! My mother died because of me!!" 

The students in the class were in shock to see Ietsuna's enraged face. Aratani and Sakaguchi quickly took his arms to prevent him from doing something silly such as punching Dohachiro. 

"S-Sawada, whatever happens...just, calm, down..." Sakaguchi muttered quickly. "Don't ever think of punching that guy. It's...not worth it..."

"He's right," Aratani said quickly. "Don't try to get a bad school record because of him." 

Ietsuna was trying to calm down as he took a few deep breaths. He felt confused than before and he pulled his arms away from his friends. 

"I...I'm sorry...please, leave me alone..."

He quickly left the classroom and he wanted to hide in a place where no one could find him. The first thing he thought of was a Boxing Club room. No one would ever want to go near that place because of the incident four years ago. 

The moment he reached, he saw Hatanaka confronting the same seniors who would come over to collect the protection fees. 

This time, he felt something terrible would happen.


	27. resolution

His mother never wanted him back because he loved his father more than his mother. He wanted to be as strong as his father and he had decided to join the gangster group who would give him a promising future. 

After a month joining the gangster group, he was brought to meet the boss. His face was hardly seen in the dark, but he could remember the cold, sinister voice clearly. 

**_"Hatanaka Masato. Ah, I know your father. A fighter with great strength. Such a waste of talent after being imprisoned for the crime. No worries. I need your strength and support. You will be as strong as your father after joining my beloved group."_ **

He was happy. He felt he was being accepted, unlike his mother. His guardian never wanted him to join the gangster group, but he never had the right to give him advice. He was not his birth parent. 

The seniors were like his brothers to him and they were proud of him. He would never want to disappoint them. That was why he needed to try his best to impress them and his boss-

Ever since Ietsuna saved his life, he began to think about his future. 

Did he want to be as strong as his father? Every time he went to collect the protection fees from weak students, he could remember their dejected looks. 

_**"This is all I have. It's a birthday gift from my father."** _

**_"If...if you take it, how am I going to buy some food for my family?"_ **

**_"I need this money for my sister's medication. Please..."_ **

He used to be like them. He never wanted to be as weak as them. Until when his guardian told him about his mother. 

**_"Masato, your mother collapsed from her workplace. The doctor says that she's not feeling well due to stress. Don't you want to see her?"_ **

_**"...she never wanted me. Why should I go and see her?"** _

**_"Because she's your mother. A woman who brought you to this world. I hate to break this to you but your father never thought of you while he's in the prison."_ **

_**"It can't be! We are so close, how could you say something like that??"** _

**_"Fine, we'll go and visit him tomorrow. You can talk to him as much as you want."_ **

He did visit his father and to his huge disappointment, his father did not want to see him. 

**_"I never want a child. I told her to do the abortion but she refused. I'm only nice to that brat because you keep on nagging me to talk to my child more often. Now I'm free from them."_ **

His father never wanted him, not his mother. 

He soon realised that his mother was doing her best for the sake of him. She wanted to remarry because she did not want her son to grow up without a father. 

He made up his mind. He did not want to grow up as a criminal. He wanted to grow up as a person where his mother could be proud of. 

It took him days for Hatanaka to make a bold move. He would leave the gangster group. 

"Hatanaka, where are all the protection fees?"

"...I didn't collect it."

"Huh? Why? They don't have any money to pay??"

"...No. I'm not here for the protection fees."

"Then, why are you here?"

Hatanaka looked at them and he spoke to them with his firm tone. 

"I will leave the gangster group."

The four seniors were dumbfounded for a few seconds before they roared with laughter. Hatanaka did not flinch at their sudden laugh and one of the seniors went to touch his forehead. 

"Are you alright, Hatanaka? You must be sick that you would say something nonsense!"

"We'll take you to see a doctor check your brain," another senior mocked. "I bet the boss would be laughing as well if he heard this!"

"What a nice joke you have!" the other spoke as he could not help laughing. "But you better not saying this out in front of the boss!"

"I am not joking," Hatanaka said fiercely. "I am leaving for good."

The seniors went silent again and they were no longer laughing. Hatanaka's face did not show any sign of amusement. Only seriousness. 

"Hatanaka Masato. Do you know the true consequences of leaving the gangster group?" asked the first senior. 

"...yes. A ritual will be performed to those who want to leave the gangster group."

"Exactly," the first senior said as he took out a knife from his pocket. "Do you know what is this?"

"...a kitchen knife?"

"No, it's a _tantou_ (short sword)," the first senior replied. "This _tantou_ is used to perform a ritual called _yubitsume_ (finger shortening). How does the ritual work? It works by amputating portions of one's little finger."

Hatanaka could feel his face was pale but he tried to remain calm. 

"...I thought this ritual only happens in yakuza organisations."

"Oh, yes it is. We probably forgot to tell you that the gangster group you are joining is actually a...yakuza organisation."

The seniors' grin grew wider and Hatanaka began to feel uncomfortable. 

"Y-you're going to...amputate my...finger?"

"What do you expect? Throw you down the endless stairs?" the first senior cackled with laughter. "Yakuza organisations are different from a weak gangster group. It is more brutal than you could imagine."

The first senior ordered the three seniors to restrain him while he put his hand against the wall. 

"You're not allowed to carry a sword!!" Hatanaka yelled. "It's illegal!!"

"We don't give a damn about laws," the first senior sneered and he forcefully placed a cloth at Hatanaka's mouth to shut him up. "The boss gave me this short sword to let me perform a ritual to those who dared to leave the group. You shall be the first to go, Hatanaka Masato. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Hatanaka's eyes were filled with tears and he tried to scream and he struggled to free himself from them. The seniors were laughing, watching his miserable face. 

He could see the sharpness of the short sword and it was only a few millimetres left to touch his little finger's skin. 

He rather received punches and kicks as a punishment. He never wanted to experience the most horrifying thing that would happen soon or later. 

"Arghh!!" 

The three seniors who restrained Hatanaka howled with pain after they were hit with stones. They immediately released him and the first senior also got hit with another stone at his forehead. 

Hatanaka's knees fell on the ground and he was confused. Who was the one attacked all the seniors?

"Hatanaka!"

Ietsuna quickly came to him and he was seen holding a catapult made with a small tree branch and a rubber band. He had a worried look on his face as he tried to help him stand on his feet, removing the cloth from his mouth. Hatanaka was still shaken with fear and he turned to look at Ietsuna.

"W-what are you doing here?? You want to get yourself...killed?" he asked with a hoarse voice. 

"I'm not going to stand there and watch you suffer," Ietsuna replied quickly. "We need to leave this school ground. I don't want any other students to be their victim."

"They're going to chase us..."

"That's what I'm doing. I...I'll take them to the authorities-"

"You will never escape!!!"

The first senior roared with anger, ignoring the blood oozing from his forehead. The other three seniors were trying to stand up to catch both of them. Ietsuna grabbed Hatanaka's hand and they both ran, leaving the school gate. 

The seniors were still chasing them from behind and Hatanaka could see one of them was still carrying the short sword with him. 

Ietsuna did plan to lure them to the nearest police station or any place where anyone could help them. With the current state in his mind, he could not think where they should run. 

He was lost. All he wanted to do was to bring Hatanaka to a safer place. They ended up running to the river and Ietsuna realised that they had nowhere to run. 

"What are you doing, Sawada?? I thought you want to lure them to the police station!"

"I...I'm so sorry. I tried to think of the place but...I..."

"Is there anything wrong?"

Ietsuna was about to reply when the seniors finally found them at the river. Their furious faces were deadly and he knew that they were in deep trouble. 

"Hatanaka," the first senior growled. "Who is this boy?"

"...he..." he was standing in front of Ietsuna. "He's my classmate! Don't you dare to hurt him!"

"Hurt him?!" the second senior yelled with anger. "He hurt all of us! He needs to pay for what we had done!!" 

"Please, let him go! He...he doesn't know anything about the secret!"

"He will tell everyone about us, you fool!!" the third senior shouted. "He needs to be killed!!"

"K...killed? You can't be...serious..."

"We are as serious as you are when you want to leave the gang," the first senior gave a menacing look. "I'm not done with you, Hatanaka. I will deal with this kid before you." 

The three seniors grabbed Hatanaka and they were preventing him from pulling his arms away from them. He shouted at Ietsuna, telling him to run away before the three seniors beat him to shut his mouth. 

Ietsuna began to feel afraid when the first senior was approaching him. He wanted to save Hatanaka but the seniors were more terrifying than he could imagine. Even Hatanaka could not fight them despite he was good in karate. 

These seniors were stronger than the ones he had seen two years ago. 

"What's wrong, kid? Are you afraid?"

He did not answer. He even shook his head as a reply.

"Not afraid but you are shaking," the first senior chuckled darkly. "I am amazed that you could hit the stones directly to our heads. I do not want to waste your talent. How about joining our group?"

Ietsuna shook his head again. 

"I can promise you that I will let go of your friend. If you join, we won't bother him ever again."

"...you won't...hurt Hatanaka...if I join you?"

"Yes, yes. We won't hurt him," the first senior held out his hand. "Once we shake our hands, that's our deal."

Ietsuna was looking at the first senior. Then, his eyes were looking at Hatanaka who was trying his best to defend himself from the other seniors. 

_"It's fine. If I join the gang, they will never bother Hatanaka again. I do not want them to hurt him. He suffered too much."_

He slowly held out his hand and the first senior was smirking wider. 

_"I'm sorry, Hatanaka. This is the only way I could save you. You're going to be fine."_

As his hand was about to merge with the first senior's hand, he suddenly remembered his promise with his father. 

_**"I did not want you to learn martial arts because I feared that you would follow my path. No matter what happens, violence will never be a solution to any problem."** _

Ietsuna's eyes widened with shock. How could he forget the promise? The most important promise he made with his father before he was allowed to learn martial arts.

**_"Never, ever, follow my path, Ietsuna."_ **

Without thinking, Ietsuna moved his hand away from the first senior. He managed to avoid himself shaking his hand with him.

"Kid, why you did not shake my hand?"

"...I will not join your gang."

"...what?"

"I will not join your gang," Ietsuna repeated and he was glaring at the first senior. "I rather die than live to hurt people."

The first senior was staring at him for a while and he cackled with laughter. 

"You rather die than joining my gang??"

He grabbed a fistful of Ietsuna's hair, causing him to yell in pain. 

"Then, you may die."

He took out the short sword and stabbed him in the chest. Ietsuna could feel the pain. The pain that made him unable to speak. The pain that caused a high-pitch ringing in his ears. It felt like thousands of needles that went through his skin, his muscle and deep inside his body.

Once the blade was removed from his chest, the pain was greater than before. He lost lots of blood. He collapsed on the ground, helplessly watching Hatanaka screaming out his name. 

"...time for your punishment..."

His eyes were looking at the first senior, approaching Hatanaka while holding a bloodied short sword _._

He tried to stand and the pain was not letting him do so. The pain would rather let him sleep peacefully.

_"...n-no...I want to save Hatanaka...before I die...so please...let me...let me save him..."_

The pain seemed to listen to his words. 

_"...if I die without saving him...then...this is just...a meaningless death for me..."_

He felt a sudden warmth around his body. There was no pain. Only warmth. The warmth that brought him back to finish up what he should have done. 

_"Don't worry, Hatanaka. I'll save you."_

Ietsuna had finally stood up and as quick as lightning, he approached the first senior, grabbing his waist and threw him on the ground. 

The three seniors froze with shock and Hatanaka could not believe what he had seen. 

The orange flame on Ietsuna's forehead that matched his bright orange eyes. 


	28. fight

The seniors were sure that Ietsuna was supposed to bleed to death. Hatanaka had seen how the first senior stabbed his chest with the short sword and it should be a deep wound. He thought Ietsuna was dead after he went unconscious for minutes. If it was true, then he would be responsible for his death. 

He was willing to let the seniors amputate his finger, not because of the punishment for leaving the gangster group- no, the yakuza organisation. It was a part of a reminder that he had dragged Ietsuna in this serious situation. 

The short sword already touching the skin of his little finger and he closed his eyes, getting ready to feel the searing pain-

"Warghh!!"

Hatanaka opened his eyes quickly and he saw the first senior being thrown on the ground. Ietsuna was standing with an odd-looking orange flame on his forehead that matched his orange eyes. 

He was different from his usual demeanour. What was happening to him?

"It...it can't be...aren't you supposed to be dead??" the second senior stammered.

Ietsuna remained silent and he was looking at the three seniors who were still restraining Hatanaka. The first senior was groaning with pain after being thrown on the ground and he yelled at others. 

"What are you waiting for? Go and kill this brat right now!!"

The three seniors did not hesitate further after listening to his order. They shoved Hatanaka aside and they were prepared to attack Ietsuna. 

As the second senior approached, Ietsuna brought his arms out, extending his fingers and slightly bent his elbows. He stopped the second senior by raising his forearm inside the other's oncoming arm so that he could not hit Ietsuna's face. At the same time, he used his other hand to make a perfect fist and punch the second senior's jaw.

Ietsuna's unusual strength caused greater damage to the second senior's jaw as he tumbled and groaning with pain.

The third senior approached from behind and grabbed Ietsuna, pressing his arms against the sides of his body. He was too confident that Ietsuna would not escape from the bear hug until the blond boy lowered himself toward the ground and spread his legs a little. Ietsuna thrust his elbows up to release some of the pressure of the bear hug and grabbing one of the third senior's hands with his opposite hand. Once he was done, Ietsuna dragged him onto his back and throw him over.

The fourth senior was attempting to choke Ietsuna from behind and he was not quick enough. Before he could try to tighten his neck to choke him, Ietsuna raised both of his arms the arm on the same side as the leg staggered behind him. He brought his left arm straight up to his ear and turn his body at his left side so that his left arm could hit the fourth senior's head and his arm. As he was finally out of the choke, Ietsuna went to punch his stomach with a strong blow, causing the other to collapse on the ground. 

Hatanaka was speechless. It happened so quickly and it took less than two minutes for Ietsuna to defeat the three seniors. 

The first senior slowly stood up and he gave his displeased look at his defeated friends. The blond boy was glancing from behind and he could see that the other was still having the short sword at his hand. 

"Not bad. I told you before that I do not want to waste your talent. Whatever amazing skill you are possessing, I want you to know that you will be extremely useful for my boss."

"Your boss?" Ietsuna asked. "Is he that powerful?"

"He is!" the first senior replied. "He just needs more people to support him! That is why we are helping him! In return, he will give us a better future to all the hopeless people like us! Look at Hatanaka! He was disowned by his scum mother and his father is in prison! All of us are having an unhappy life and we want to change that!"

"If he wants to give you and everyone a better future, why would that principal's son die in the gang fight four years ago?"

"Oh, that boy?" the first senior laughed. "He didn't join the gangster group on his own accord. He joined under his father's order. Or to be precise, under the Hibari clan leader's order."

"W-what??" Hatanaka gasped with shock. "You...you told me that he joined because he had a bad relationship with his father!"

"And I thought he wanted to join the Boxing Club, never knowing that he was joining the gangster group," said Ietsuna as he frowned. 

"I didn't know that for first. That boy told my boss about the heartbreaking story of his life. The principal hardly spent some time with his child. All he did was to get the best tutor to make sure he excelled in all his studies. He was not allowed to do something he loved the most. He later argued with his father and he joined the gangster group to free from his father's grip. As we wanted to keep it secret from everyone, we spread a story to the whole school; the principal's son's wish to be a champion in boxing. However, months later, my boss discovered the boy's true purpose to join the gangster group. He purposely organised the gang fight just for that boy. His death is a warning for that clan leader to not poke into someone's business."

"He...he took someone's life...just to warn the clan leader?" Ietsuna muttered with anger. 

"That's right. Because of this gang fight, the Hibari clan leader took quite some time to clear his family name, trying to assure everyone that he had nothing to do with that gang fight."

Ietsuna later realised why the students were afraid of Satoshi. Aside from being a child to a yakuza family, the parents were trying to tell their children to not get too close with someone named Hibari to protect their safety. 

Though it was true that Satoshi had trust issues and he refused to befriend with anyone, it was the people who chose to avoid him because of the gang fight incident. 

"Enough talk. You know too much and I will make sure that you will be the first and the last person to know about this part of the truth," the first senior then glared at Hatanaka. "This is your last chance, Hatanaka. If you want to live, then stay in this gang. If you still want to leave, then I'll have to kill both of you."

Hatanaka winced in pain before he spoke to Ietsuna with his worried look. 

"Be careful! He's much stronger than the other three and he wields a weapon!"

"Got it," Ietsuna replied and he was in his ready stance. "Thank you for the warning."

The first senior approached Ietsuna in a quick move and he was trying to attack him with his short sword. He would be more satisfied if his weapon was able to slash any part of his body and Ietsuna was trying to avoid it as fast as he could. 

It was quite impossible to fight him with his bare hands because of the weapon the senior was using. He needed to remove it from his hands. The first senior was grinning madly as he watched and he used his feet to kick straight to his stomach. Ietsuna fell on the ground and the wound on his chest bleed again. He grew tired since he lost too much blood. 

_"What...what should I do? He's good at using his short sword. If...if only I could borrow Takeo's sword to fight against him. I...I need something..."_

He tried to sit and one of his hand was on the ground to support himself while his other hand was covering the wound on his chest. 

He could not just sit and do nothing. He would be dead and he would not be able to save Hatanaka. 

He saw something hidden in the thick grass. He reached out his hand to touch it before he took it out. It was an old oil-paper umbrella and he was more confused. He could not possibly be using it as his weapon especially when his attacker was using a short sword.

The first senior did not wait any longer. He was close to ending his life so that he could deal with Hatanaka. 

When the first senior plunged the short sword towards him, the blond boy quickly took out the oil-paper umbrella and opened it in front of him. The short sword went through the umbrella and it was stuck in its stretcher. Ietsuna quickly spun the umbrella to remove the short sword from the first senior's hand. He closed the umbrella and later used it to strike the first senior. 

As he was already exhausted, Ietsuna used the umbrella handle to hit the back of his neck. It was a harsh blow and the first senior finally collapsed on the ground, went unconscious. 

The flame on his forehead slowly extinguished without him noticing it and his knees fell on the ground. He felt dizzier and he could see more blood at his hand. His head soon landed on the grass and it was surprisingly comfortable. 

He did not need to worry again. He defeated all the seniors and he managed to save Hatanaka's life.

"...Sawada...!! Hang on...take...hospital...! ...help...!"

He was tired. A long sleep would help him to ease his mind. 

* * *

Asari Kazuhiro was in a rush. The moment he arrived, he went to the hospital receptionist to ask about a patient named Sawada Ietsuna. After the nurse told him the room number, he quickly walked and wandering around the area until he found Yoshinobu sitting outside the room where Ietsuna was treated. 

Yoshinobu was burying his face with his hands. He was still wearing his working suit and Kazuhiro assumed that he left his workplace earlier after receiving an emergency call. 

He had to wonder why Yoshinobu wanted him to come over to the hospital. Was it because he was Yoshimune's closest friend? 

"Shin? How are you?" 

After hearing Kazuhiro's soft voice, Yoshinobu removed his hands and his eyes were a little swollen. The older man was concerned as he sat beside him and gently pats his shoulder before he spoke again. 

"Shin? Is Ietsuna safe?"

"...he's safe for now," Yoshinobu answered with a strained voice. "It happened so quickly. I received a call from his school. The principal told me that my son was heavily injured. I had to tell my manager and he told me to leave quickly to see my son."

"How did it happen?"

"His friend, Hatanaka was calling for help and Ryoko happened to pass by. She was in shock after seeing Ietsuna's condition and she ran back to school, report it to the school principal."

Yoshinobu let out a frustrating sigh before he continued to talk. 

"Ietsuna was trying to protect Hatanaka from the older boys but he...he was stabbed. It was a deep wound and...he lost too much blood. I thought I'm going to lose him just like I lose-"

"Shin, I know what are you trying to say. What matters the most that Ietsuna is safe."

Kazuhiro did not stop patting his shoulder as he was trying to calm Yoshinobu. 

"You suffered too much and I know that your family members don't want to see you like this. You need to be strong for the sake of Ietsuna." 

"...uncle Kazuhiro? Do you think I've been a good father to Ietsuna?"

"I would not say you are the best in the world, but," Kazuhiro smiled. "After watching how Ietsuna grows up under your care, I would say that you did a great job."

Yoshinobu was quiet for a while and he felt a little better. 

"I'm so sorry for having you to see me crying, uncle Kazuhiro."

"I am not going to laugh at you, Shin. It is fine to cry if you are sad."

"...I see."

"I am surprised that you called me to come over. Is there anything I can help?"

"...I need to tell you something. It's about Ietsuna."

"What about him?"

"Ietsuna finally activated the Sky Flame. Thus, he successfully entered Hyper Dying Will Mode."


	29. dream

**_"Hiro...I...I finally did it..."_ **

Yoshimune was smiling widely and Kazuhiro could see the orange flame on his forehead. The older boys were defeated and Yoshimune was still hugging the shaken Sayuri. He was tired and injured but he was happy. 

**_"Yoshi, are you...alright?"_ **

**_"I'm fine! I managed to save Sayuri!"_ **

_**"Did you just...beat all of these boys?"** _

**_"I...guess so. I...I thought I could not do it. I thought I will never get to inherit...my father's special power..."_ **

**_"How on earth did you do it, Yoshi?"_ **

**_"I...I forgot how I did it, but...I am tired. I think I forgot to eat my medicine..."_ **

**_"Just hang on, I'll bring you home! Your father is really worried!"_ **

Kazuhiro remembered it was the day Yoshimune finally activated the Sky Flame he inherited from his father. He was unsure how he did it until his father (Asari Ugetsu) once told him how it worked. Hearing Ietsuna successfully unlocking the Sky Flame brought back some of his old memories with Yoshimune. 

"Ietsuna finally unlocked the Sky Flame and entering Hyper Dying Will Mode?"

"I could not believe it for first after Hatanaka told me the whole story but, when I took some time to think all over again, it does make sense."

"How does he unlock it?"

"The same way when my father and my grandfather unlock the Sky Flame for the first time."

"You mean...near-death experience?"

Yoshinobu only responded with a sad smile on his face. 

"When we die unexpectedly, we immediately remembered that there were many things we didn't do while we live. We regret it. And that's when we wished that...we wanted to do something before we die. My grandfather's wish was to protect his friend and my father's wish was to save my mother's life. I could only guess that Ietsuna had wished to save Hatanaka's life."

"You did not tell him anything about...your grandfather's history?"

"I was planning to tell him when he is old enough to learn the history of my grandfather. Since he's already activating his Sky Flame at his young age, I think he needs to prepare himself to accept the truth about the Sawada family." 

"I understand."

"Uncle Kazuhiro? Did you ever tell yours to your grandniece and grandnephew?"

"I'm pretty sure they have heard it from their father," Kazuhiro laughed. "They were so thrilled to hear that their grandfather was a talented samurai who fought against enemies with his famous four irregular swords."

"Why you don't want to be a swordsman like your brother and your father?"

"My father once told me and my brother that we can choose what we want to do. My brother wants to be a strong swordsman while I am more interested in music and arts. I did not say that I do not want to be a swordsman. I choose what I want to do."

"Somehow, I understand why your father is my grandfather's good friend."

"...Shin, I have been meaning to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"...You are still unable to unlock the Sky Flame?"

Yoshinobu felt as if it was hard to swallow something hard in his throat. 

"I...I still can't do it."

"Why is that so? You have faced many near-death experiences and surely you have something you regret not doing it."

"Uncle Kazuhiro, no matter how many times I regretted, I just can't...unlock it."

"Have you ever wonder what you have missed after knowing that Ietsuna managed to unlock his flame?"

"...do you think I've missed something important?"

"I do believe that your grandfather would tell you to figure it out on your own. You know yourself better than anyone else."

Yoshinobu tried to think of any reason why he could not activate it when the doctor came out from Ietsuna's room. Both Yoshinobu and Kazuhiro stood up and they were asking about his condition. The doctor explained that Ietsuna was in his recovery state and because of blood loss, would be sleeping for quite a long time.

"He's safe. You should return home and get more rest, Shin. You can visit him tomorrow."

"I will. Thank you for coming, uncle Kazuhiro."

"You are welcome."

* * *

Ietsuna was sleeping comfortably and he did not feel like waking up at the moment. He was tired and he just wanted to rest his head. 

"Ietsuna, time to wake up..."

He heard a woman's voice. Her voice was kind and gentle. He had never heard it before but he felt strangely familiar. 

"You are going to be late for school."

He heard some footsteps coming inside his room. Someone was touching his hair softly and again, he heard her voice again. 

"Time to wake up. You don't want to be late for school, right?"

"...I don't want to go to school..."

"Huh? Why is that so?"

"I...I never want to meet someone there."

"Did your friends bully you again?"

"N-no, they are all nice to me. It's just that..."

"What is it?"

"I...I don't know. I feel like hating myself. Because of me...someone has to die..."

He felt hurt. The worst feeling when he found out someone hated him because he was the reason why his mother died. He could not explain it to his father as he did not want him to confront that doctor who happened to be his aunt. 

He felt someone was touching his hand and the sadness inside his heart slowly fading. 

"Ietsuna, my death is not your fault. I choose to bring you to this world because I do not wish to see your father staying alone. The illness will still take me away if I did not do anything."

"You...did not blame me?"

"You silly child. Why would I want to blame you?"

"But, I..."

"Come on, don't show your sad face. Give me the best smile to me, Ietsuna."

"S-smile...?"

"Yes. Think of something that makes you happy."

He furrowed his eyebrows and he tried to think of something happy. When he opened his eyes, he saw a young woman with long brown hair and she was seen wearing a pretty Taisho kimono. She was the same young woman from his parents' photo and he could not stop smiling as he cried. 

"M-mother, is that...you?"

"That's right," Reiko grinned and she pinched his cheeks. "See, you looked much better when you smile."

"I...I can't believe it. Is...is this a dream?"

"You decide. How's your life while I've been away?"

"I'm doing fine. I mean, people do tease me because of my appearance but it's getting better after I went to junior high school. Since father is working, I've been playing with Hatsuka and Hanako when I was young. Mrs Tanaka was kind and helpful and she taught me how to cook. Also, father taught me some self-defence skills so that I could protect myself."

"He taught you how to fight?"

"Yes. He looked scared when I told him I want to learn how to fight when I was in elementary school. He refused for first but he soon decided to teach me. I'm glad he taught me or I...I won't be here..."

"I guess he's been doing great. I'm happy to hear that."

Reiko leaned to give a small peck on his forehead before she stood up. He blinked his eyes for a few times and he could hear that his mother wanted to prepare some dessert for other guests. 

"W-wait, mother..."

He tried to sit and he felt his body was heavy. He blinked his eyes hard and once he opened both of them, he found out that he was in the hospital. 

He remembered that he was heavily wounded and he wanted to save Hatanaka. He knew that he was against all the seniors but it happened too fast that he had no idea what had happened. His chest felt heavier thanks to the bandage. 

The dream looked almost real and he was disappointed. He thought he could see his mother again.

_"It's impossible. She died after I was born."_

The door soon opened and he saw his homeroom teacher coming in along with Aratani, Sakaguchi, Takeo and Kataoka Shiori. They brought some fruits and flowers and they smiled with relief to see him awake. 

"I'm glad you are safe, Sawada," the homeroom teacher spoke and he stood beside him. "Are you feeling better?"

"I've slept too long, so...I'm doing fine for now..." Ietsuna gave a small smile. 

"You scared us to death, Sawada!" Sakaguchi said with his alarmed tone. "You suddenly left the classroom and you didn't return, then that arrogant doctor came to our class and she took your belongings, telling us that you were injured and you are in the hospital!"

"Then the next day, our homeroom teacher told us that you and Hatanaka were attacked by the senior students from that high school," Aratani explained. "The police already arrested them and the school is in chaos again."

"I agree," Kataoka added. "The principal managed to keep it quiet again because he doesn't want to scare the parents again ever since that incident four years ago."

"W-what happened to Hatanaka?" Ietsuna asked with worry. 

"He was discharged from the hospital three days ago," the homeroom teacher answered. "He was still in shock, so he's been absent from school for a few days."

"I'm glad he's safe..."

"We are more worried about you!" Sakaguchi quickly spoke. "You've been unconscious for a week after that attack and we have been planning to visit you!"

"Don't say too loud, Sakaguchi," the homeroom teacher frowned. "You are not the only one worried about Sawada."

"S-sorry..." 

"I'm happy that you come to see me," Ietsuna spoke. "I can't wait to go back to school."

"You've been away for a week," Aratani smirked. "Those school work will come to haunt you at night."

"If I were you, I wouldn't want to go back to school," Sakaguchi added. "Think of those work you need to do..." 

"At least Sawada is smarter than you," Kataoka sneered. "I bet he could finish all of it in a day."

"...I don't think I could finish it in one day..."

"It's fine, Sawada," the homeroom teacher explained. "I've talked with other teachers about your condition and they agreed not to give you any school work. However, you still need to borrow some lesson notes from your friends as they are important for your final year exam."

"Thank you so much, sir. I appreciate that." 

They spent almost an hour accompanying him until the nurse reminded them that they should leave to let the patient rest. They soon left and telling him that they would be waiting for him to return to school. 

It was late afternoon and Ietsuna had another visitor. Hatanaka Masato was in better shape after that day and he had a concerned look on his face. Ietsuna simply smiled and he invited him to sit beside him while giving him some apples he got from his classmates. 

"Thank you for saving my life once again, Sawada," said Hatanaka. "I...I nearly lose my finger if it wasn't because of you."

"I'm glad that you are safe, Hatanaka," Ietsuna grinned. "I can get to see your crying face."

"S-stop that. It's a real nightmare..."

"I'm sorry...but, you've decided to do the right thing, Hatanaka. Congratulations."

"You fought well, Sawada. Especially when you disliked fighting."

"I fight to protect myself, and to anyone who is in danger," Ietsuna replied. "If I have strength, I do not wish to use it to hurt people." 

Hatanaka was looking at his heterochromia eyes and he could see that Ietsuna was true with his words. His lips curved into a small smile and they were silent for a while. 

"Hatanaka, what are you going to do? Those seniors might not want to let you go easily."

"They won't be released in a short time. The police might reopen the case about that incident. Besides, I won't be coming to school starting next month."

"Huh? Why?"

"I'm following my mother and my new father to Italy."

"You're moving to Italy??" Ietsuna asked with his surprised look.

"He's been kind to my mother ever since she kicked me out from the house. He is the reason why she decided to accept me again. We talked and we apologised to each other. I haven't been able to spend more time with her and this should be my chance."

"...I thought you don't want your mother to replace your father."

"That's no longer my father. And that man she brought home when I was young, he's a real jerk. I was so surprised that she would be in love with an Italian man. He's not that bad."

"It's pretty unexpected," Ietsuna pats his shoulder. "It's only a few months we become classmates. It's a pleasure meeting you, Hatanaka."

"Me too. And, before I leave Japan, I think I should tell you something about that gangster group. Don't expect more from me, I only know what I've witnessed."

"I'm ready. Please tell me what you know about them."


	30. broken

**_"No, I will never allow you to join my clan, Shin."_ **

**_"Why is that so? Am I not strong enough?"_ **

**_"It's not about your strength. You are strong but that does not mean I will allow you to join me."_ **

Katsuya and Yoshinobu were sitting at the bus stop. They were waiting for Reiko who was still at school as Yoshinobu would be waiting with her until her bus arrived. That was when he requested to join Katsuya's family clan. 

**_"I've known you since we were in the first year of high school. We fought against the delinquents and the students were afraid of us. You are ruthless and you would not hold back. My father is quite fond of you and he once thought of acknowledging you as his godson. However, I rejected his idea and I told him not to involve you."_ **

**_"Why? Is it because you're jealous of me that your father prefers me as his son?"_ **

_**"I've never thought of that, Shin. I want you to know that the Hibari clan is not a normal and friendly family."** _

**_"I know your family is a yakuza organisation. I still insist to join your family, even if I have to abandon my family-"_ **

**_"And I will still not allowing you to join my family."_ **

**_"Katsuya, I thought we are good friends. I thought you will let me join your family without hesitation."_ **

**_"Shin, once you join the yakuza organisation, there's no turning back. As a good friend, I have a reason to stop you from joining my family."_ **

**_"What kind of reason to stop me from joining your family?"_ **

_**"You and I are different, Shin."** _

_**"Different?"** _

**_"You grew up in a peaceful and loving family. And me? I grew up while watching all sorts of violence in front of me and I managed to keep my mind sane. The yakuza leaders indeed accepted those who have been abandoned or exiled by their parents. Why would you want to leave your kind-hearted family members behind? What did they do wrong to you??"_ **

**_"I...I just can't stand it! My mother died but there was no justice for her! Am I supposed to just look at them laughing at me for losing someone I love?? I hate it when they were laughing behind my back! My grandfather told me to ignore them! At least I know why his family had fallen. He's too weak to be a leader-"_ **

**_"Your grandfather left Italy because the vigilante organisation he founded had turned into a mafia organisation! His treasure was destroyed! And now that you want to join the yakuza, you are doing nothing but to break his heart even more! You are slowly bringing more horrible memories to him-"_ **

_**"Shut up!"** _

**_"What? Did I say something wrong to you?? I thought you want to ignore your family and join my family. Why you tell me to shut up??"_ **

**_"I don't want to be that kind of person who just watches people's sufferings! I have to do something to erase their sickening false smiles off from their face!"_ **

**_"You are getting lost already, Shin! You are now drowning into a world of madness!"_ **

**_"I am! Why should I follow my grandfather and my father's path?? Why can't I choose my future?!"_ **

**_"...are you aware that the yakuza and the mafia are two similar organisations?"_ **

**_"...I know that."_ **

**_"And you still want to join?"_ **

**_"What if I say yes?"_ **

Katsuya went on to grab Yoshinobu's bag and he took out a photo of his family. Yoshimune, Sayuri, Ieyasu and his wife were smiling in the photo and Katsuya gave it to Yoshinobu. 

**_"Why are you giving me this photo?"_ **

**_"I'm going to test you. Members of yakuza organisations cut their family ties and transfer their loyalty to the Oyabun (family boss) or_ ** _**Kumicho** _ **_(family head). If you can tear that photo into pieces, then I won't stop you from joining my family."_ **

**_"...you think I would not do it?"_ **

**_"If you tear it, then I have nothing to say to you."_ **

Yoshinobu felt like Katsuya belittled him and he was about to tear the photo in front of his eyes.

It should be an easy task for him. Why he could not do it?

He grew up in a happy family. His mother was strict but kind. His father would guide him. His grandmother was the most loving woman he ever saw. His grandfather was wise and he loved him. 

And yet, he broke his heart. Ieyasu's heart broke when his grandson took the darkest path. Much worse than seeing his fallen family-

He clenched his jaw with anger and he threw the photo on the ground. Katsuya was only watching before he shook his head. 

They did not talk for a while until Reiko came to the bus stop with her surprised look. 

**_"Uh, what's wrong? Did both of you...fight?"_ **

**_"Oh, nothing, Reiko. Shin is in a bad mood. Can you please do something to...soothe his heart?"_ **

**_"M-me? Why me?"_ **

**_"I believe you can do that. Good luck."_ **

Katsuya left both of them and he did glance behind to see Reiko picking up the family photo and she kindly gave it back to Yoshinobu. He took it and he placed it back in his bag. 

It was proof that he still loved his family. 

**_"I'm sorry, Shin. The underground world is not fit for someone as kind as you are. No matter how many times you try to change your heart, you still love them."_ **

He was glad that he did the right thing to prevent him from joining the yakuza organisation. There was no turning back. His friend might not be able to see his family ever again. 

Katsuya was on his way to his father's room when his right-hand man quickly came to him. Suguru was his childhood friend and he was the _Wakagashira_ (first lieutenant) of the clan. 

"Any news from them?"

"I tried to find out who is their boss and why are they trying to recruit more new members from the school but they refused to say anything," Suguru replied. "They would rather stay in prison than betraying their boss."

Katsuya frowned and he grew frustrated. He still could not find out who was the one responsible for the gang fight incident four years ago. It could be any yakuza organisations who probably had a deep grudge against the Hibari clan. 

Moreover, he was trying to find out who was the one killed his wife. 

"You should get more rest, Katsuya."

"I don't think I can. After what had happened to my good friend's son, I need to act fast."

"With your tired brain? You've been working too hard ever since that incident."

"Suguru, that incident may look like a serious gang fight but to me, it was complicated."

"Complicated?"

"A year before the gang fight incident, the senior high school principal came to me personally to ask for my help. He told me that he and the discipline teachers recently caught some students who were trying to distribute some illegal drugs to other students. He showed that pill to me and it looked like the shape of a candy. Other students might think it was a packet of sweets, never knowing that it was an illegal drug."

"So, you sent one of our followers to investigate this matter?"

"Yes. He could pass as a first-year student and I need the principals from both schools to cooperate with me. They agreed and he would disguise as the principal of the junior middle school 's son."

"He's doing a great job," Suguru commented. "From what he had seen, the gangster group was newly formed and so far, their leader was the _Shateigashira_ (regional bosses/second lieutenant) of an unknown organisation."

"That's right," Katsuya added. " _Shateigashira_ collected dues from the _shatei_ (younger brothers) and they were in charge of criminal activity at the street level. You name it. Drug dealing, assault, theft and others. They were in command of the younger generation of soldiers. This rank carried a lot of weight and often would surrender for the yakuza and do prison time to prevent higher-ups from ever being discovered or charged."

"That means...the delinquent who stabbed Sawada Yoshinobu's son was the _Shateigashira_ of an unknown organisation?"

"Yes. The _Oyabun_ of an unknown organisation probably knew that I had been sending a spy and he ordered his _Shateigashira_ to organise the gang fight to kill our spy. And to stop us from minding their business, he spread the rumour about the Hibari clan's involvement in the gang fight."

"It was tough back then."

"Indeed. It took me most of my time to clear my family name," Katsuya sighed. "What else did you know about that _Shateigashira_?"

"The police officer told me that he and his other three _kyodai_ (elder brothers) were not the students from senior high school. They dressed up as senior students to make the recruitment job easier."

"Now it's harder to know their family boss's identity," Katsuya replied. "You may leave. If there's more lead, report it to me. Also, please keep an eye on Satoshi."

"I will. Katsuya, you are not going to try talking to him?"

"He refused to talk with someone who caused his mother's death."

"Amaya's death is not your fault-"

"That boy's heart was broken after seeing his mother killed in front of his eyes," Katsuya spoke. "I should have been with them. I should have..."

Suguru saw Katsuya's regret look and he knew he started to remember Amaya's death. 

Suguru, Katsuya and Satoshi were in the hospital when Amaya successfully gave birth to a second baby boy. Amaya wanted to walk around the hospital garden with Satoshi and Suguru had been accompanying them while Katsuya went to talk to the doctor about his newborn son. All of a sudden, a group of men in black suits came to the hospital and started to shoot people nearby. Suguru tried to attack them when he found out that one of them had shot Amaya. Satoshi was severely injured at one of his ears but he ignored the pain. He was screaming with horror after watching his mother's death. 

The men quickly escaped when they saw Katsuya standing in front of the hospital entrance. Suguru remembered his murderous look after seeing Amaya's dead body and his injured son. 

Due to her tragic death, Katsuya wanted Kouichi to be Fon's temporary parent before he flew to another country. 

Satoshi had seen something terrible. He did not want his younger son to see the bloodshed like his older brother did. 

* * *

"Where did you get this letter, Hatsuka?"

"From my sister's drawer. I thought it was a love letter until I read something serious..."

Hatsuka was in the school library with Satoshi and she finally managed to give the letter to him since he was unexpectedly busy most of the time. He had been reading and he did not show any reaction of its details. 

"Well, two years ago, Ietsuna and I saw that boy named Kiyoshi at the school workshop block and he was bullied by those older boys. Ietsuna did lure them away while I brought Kiyoshi to the school infirmary. Big sister came in and that's where she learned the whole story. I didn't know that he would secretly write a letter to tell her about that gangster group." 

"So, what about it?"

"We need to do something about this, Satoshi!" Hatsuka quickly replied. "More innocent students are becoming victims! And...and I heard that Ietsuna was severely wounded..."

"Those attackers were arrested. Why would you want to worry about it?"

"What if there's more of them?"

"Hatsuka, I understand your frustration but, try not to get involved with it."

"I can't stand it-"

"If you stay away from this matter, I will try to find out who else is in the gangster group."

"...you will?"

"I'm from the Hibari clan, remember?"

"...alright, I'll...stay away from them."

"You better go home. Or I think you would want to visit your little brother."

"You're right. I'm worried about Ietsuna's condition." 

Hatsuka stood up and she grabbed her school bag, leaving the library. Satoshi was making sure that she was gone and he proceeded to tear the letter into pieces. He tucked his hair behind and he carefully touched the black ear cuff at his left ear. 

The ear cuff had the shape of sharp claws. He had it after his left ear was damaged. 

"I'm almost there. You will not die in vain, mother."


	31. secret

The school was quiet. 

Unusually quiet. 

Ietsuna was sure that it was not Saturday or Sunday. He looked around the school area and there were no students. Was he late for school? If he was, he should have been caught by the student council members or the disciplinary teacher. 

There were no students at the field either. Or some teachers around. 

He took a few steps forward and he looked around once again to see if there were any changes. The school was still quiet and there was no sign of anyone. 

He continued to walk while he was looking around the school area. Was it too quiet, or he was the only one who did not hear anything?

He glanced and he found out that he did not have a reflection. All the glasses from the windows and mirrors did not show his reflection. 

He knew his face went pale. He started to feel uncomfortable. He should not have to come to school if he knew this was happening. 

He walked again and the first thing came into his mind was to go to his classroom. 

He arrived and his slide the door open. He wanted to sigh with relief to see his classmates. He wanted to tell them something strange had happened-

Only to see that they were wearing a black mask. No eyes. Only sinister-looking mouths.

_"Welcome back!"_

_"We missed you so much!"_

_"Where have you been?"_

_"I thought you were dead!"_

All the students were crowding him and he was walking backwards, away from them. He tried to slide the door open to leave the classroom but the door would not move. The students did not stop talking and laughing around him. It was so noisy that he shut his ears and his eyes tightly and he wished that it was a nightmare.

He wanted to wake up as soon as possible. He did not want to be trapped inside the awful dream. 

_"Holy heck! Why are you in a fire, Ietsuna?!"_

The tone of their voices had changed and they were panicking. Ietsuna opened his eyes and he saw them backing away from him. He then looked at his hands that were covered with flames. He was frightened and he quickly opened the door to run to the nearest washroom. 

Once he was in the washroom, he tried to turn the tap water to distinguish the flames but there was no water. 

He did not know what to do. The flames at his hands were burning fiercely and it took some time for him to realise that the flames were warm instead of scorching hot. 

He lifted his head and he could see his reflection at the mirror. However, both of his eyes were orange in colour and there was a flame on his forehead.

The shocking and unusual appearance was enough to wake Ietsuna from his dream and he found himself lying on the bed in his room. 

He slowly remembered that he was discharged from the hospital a few days ago and his father wanted him to rest for another few days before he was allowed to go back to school. He was sure that his injury was fully recovered but his father still insisted him to rest longer. 

He felt like his father wanted to tell him something important. 

Moreover, the unusual appearance he saw in his dream made him recall his conversation with Hatanaka Masato before he moved to Italy with his mother and his new father. 

_**"Sawada, I've been meaning to ask you something."** _

_**"What is it, Hatanaka?"** _

_**"Just, who are you?"** _

**_"...huh??"_ **

_**"I'm sorry if I'm being rude or anything but...you looked different when you were fighting against those senior students."** _

_**"D-different? What are you trying to say? And...did I fight against those senior students?"** _

_**"You don't remember what were you doing?"** _

_**"No, I...the last thing I remembered that I was stabbed. My head was spinning madly as I lost too much blood. It...it was so painful that I feel like someone was slashing my chest from inside. And after a long sleep, I found myself sleeping in this hospital room."** _

_**"For real? I thought you were dead and I was about to take responsibility when you suddenly grabbed that senior's waist and threw him on the ground. Then you went on to defeat the other three without hesitation. You were too fast and you don't even care about your wound. And..."** _

**_"And?"_ **

_**"This may sound ridiculous but...there's a yellow-orange flame at your forehead and both of your eyes are unusually orange in colour."** _

_**"...flame...at my forehead? I...I don't understand. What is happening to me?"** _

It was too much for him to think about it and Hatanaka decided to not asking him further so that he could rest. 

He did not think about Hatanaka's bizarre explanation until he saw it from his dream. 

He was debating if he should tell it to his father. An orange fire at the forehead while fighting against the older boys? Fighting with that serious wound on his chest?

It was too strange to imagine that it did happen in real life instead of a fiction world. How was it possible to have a flame burning at his forehead? Or Hatanaka's trauma was too severe that he ended up saying strange things?

"Ietsuna, are you still not feeling well?"

He blinked his eyes and he realised that he was having lunch with his father in the dining hall. He was in the middle of eating a bowl of ramen (Japanese noodle soup) before he immersed himself in his own thought. 

"If the ramen doesn't taste good, I understand," Yoshinobu laughed lightly. "This is the only food I can cook-"

"N-no, it's not like that!" Ietsuna quickly bowed, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry, father! Y-your ramen tastes good! It's just that...I'm thinking of something..."

"Thinking of something? What could it be?"

"...I could not forget the day when I tried to save Hatanaka from the senior students. I knew that I was dying due to blood loss but he told me that...I managed to defeat the seniors. All on my own."

"It is a good thing that you have defeated them, right?"

"I...I don't remember fighting against them. Hatanaka said it happened too quickly. He even told me that there's a flame burning at my forehead-"

"A flame burning at your forehead?" Yoshinobu raised his eyebrows. "Did he see that?"

Ietsuna immediately went quiet when he saw his father's reaction. His father might be thinking that he and Hatanaka were losing their sanity after facing those senior students. 

"I'm sorry, father. Maybe...Hatanaka was still scared since he almost lost his little finger. It's impossible to have a flame burning at my forehead."

"...to be honest, the flame burning at your forehead is not a lie." 

"...what? What are you talking about, father? Do you believe it?"

"It is not that I believe it. This is the Sawada family's special ability."

"Special ability? H-how is that possible??"

"I'll tell more of it," Yoshinobu stood up from his seat. "Why don't you finish eating up your ramen while I'll go and get some things."

Yoshinobu went back to his room and he closed the door. Ietsuna grew more confused and he quickly finished eating his food. He sat back at the dining hall, waiting for his father. After several minutes, Yoshinobu came out from his room, carrying a wooden box. He placed the box on the table and he opened it to take out an old photo. 

"Father, is there something I need to know?"

"Yes, there is something you should know. But first, take a look at this photo."

Ietsuna took the photo from his father's hand and his eyes widened with surprise. It was a photo of Sawada Ieyasu's portrait that was hung in a place that looked like a mansion or a castle. He was surprised because there was a yellow-orange flame on his great-grandfather's forehead and his eyes were special. The pupils were darker orange and the colour of the irises was much lighter.

His great-grandfather's unique appearance was the same as his reflection he saw in his dream.

"Is...is this...great-grandpa?"

"Yes, this is your great-grandfather," Yoshinobu answered. "The flame on his forehead is known as the Dying Will Flame."

"Dying Will...Flame?"

"The Dying Will Flame is known as a high-density form of energy that is refined from an individual's life-force. It resonates with one's emotions and it can only be seen by a few people. The Dying Will Flame is similar to a real flame in many ways."

Ietsuna was frowning as he tried to understand the Dying Will Flame description.

"I...I still don't get it, father."

"I would not be angry at you if you don't understand, Ietsuna. You may take some time to study more of the Dying Will Flames because today, I'm going to tell you something important. This is about the Sawada family's secret."

"Secret?"

"While the doctors were treating your wound, I went to see Hatanaka Masato. He apologised to me for dragging you into the mess he had created and he told me everything. You stood up to fight against those seniors with that strange flame at your forehead. I was waiting for the right time to tell you about the secret but since you had finally activated the Dying Will Flame, I guess you don't have to wait longer."

Ietsuna pursed his lips tightly, feeling nervous when he saw his father's serious look. He deeply thought that this secret was more valuable than a bar of gold since he rarely saw Yoshinobu's unusual look. 

"First of all, your great-grandfather was not a Frenchman. He was an Italian man and his real name was Giotto. He changed his name after he moved to Japan to start his new family."

"Wait, great-grandpa was not a Frenchman?" Ietsuna raised his eyebrows. "Why you didn't tell me that he's an Italian?"

"I...I don't want to lie to you about him," Yoshinobu said awkwardly. "I'm sorry but this is the only way to hide this secret."

"Some of my classmates were happy to hear that great-grandpa was born in that city of love," Ietsuna sighed. "So, great-grandpa moved to Japan because he wanted to learn more about Japanese culture?"

"Well, there's more than that."

"More than that?"

"Your great-grandfather was a leader of a vigilante group in Italy. This vigilante group, known as the Vongola Famiglia was established to protect the town and its people from the outlaws. There had been ups and downs during his reign as the Vongola Primo and he was a powerful fighter. It was until one of his guardians directly betrayed him."

"One of his guardians?"

"You'll learn more about it soon enough. Vongola Primo led the family along with his six guardians. G, Asari Ugetsu, Lampo, Knuckle, Alaude and Daemon Spade. The guardian who betrayed him was Daemon Spade. The Vongola Famiglia had become stronger than he imagined and he told him that he was not fit to be the Vongola boss because of his kind nature."

There was a pained look from Yoshinobu's eyes as Ietsuna had noticed. However, he was not satisfied with Daemon's actions towards his great-grandfather. 

"How...how could he say that to great-grandpa? That's not even the way to treat his boss!"

"I guess both of them had a different opinion. Daemon Spade wanted to make the Vongola Famiglia more powerful but your great-grandfather disagreed with him. In the end, he made the most painful decision. He chose his cousin as the next boss and once his cousin was appointed as the Vongola Secondo, he officially retired and he moved to Japan with your great-grandmother and his other guardian, Asari Ugetsu, leaving his other friends behind. He changed his name so that no one would find him and his living descendants."

Yoshinobu took out the gold pocket watch from the wooden box and he passed it to Ietsuna. 

"This pocket watch was your great-grandfather's most precious item. There were seven altogether and were given to his guardians to celebrate their friendship. Even after Daemon Spade betrayed him, he still considered him as his friend."

Ietsuna was looking at the pocket watch closely. A gold pocket watch with a clam-shaped clasp and the Vongola Famiglia crest was carved on the lid. He opened it and he saw a photo of his great-grandfather with his guardians. He could not recognise all of them except for one. 

Asari Ugetsu, uncle Kazuhiro's father. 

He noticed that the photo was removable and as he removed it, there were some words engraved on the underside of the lid. 

"Givro eterna amicizia," Ietsuna read it fluently. "What does it says, father?"

"In Italian, it means 'I swear eternal friendship'."

"I see. Father, what happened to the Vongola Famiglia after great-grandpa's retirement?"

"...It became a mafia family."

"Mafia...family?"

"Vongola Famiglia was also his valuable treasure in his life. You can imagine his pained look after his treasure was...destroyed."

"Can I say something, father?"

"What is it, Ietsuna?"

"I...I can't help it but, I noticed that there's a pain look from your eyes when you told me how Daemon Spade betrayed great-grandpa."

Yoshinobu had an unpleasant feeling coming from his chest and his head. Ietsuna was waiting for his reply and his heart was aching again. 

**_"The family doesn't need a weak and soft-hearted leader like you. That is why your family has fallen."_ **

**_"Yoshinobu, how...could you say that?"_ **

It came back again. He was just as bad as Daemon Spade. The worst part, a grandson who dared to hurt Vongola Primo's feelings. 

"Father?"

"I...I have a reason to hate Daemon Spade. I mean, it hurts a lot when someone close to you ended up betraying you."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. So, let us continue to learn more about Dying Will Flame, shall we?"


	32. kind

For all these years, Ietsuna thought he was just a normal boy. Only his odd appearance made him feel different from anyone before he started to accept and feeling proud to inherit his great-grandfather's blond hair and an orange eye.

However, after knowing the Sawada family's secret, he had the feeling that things would change. 

His great-grandfather, Sawada Ieyasu, or his real name, Giotto was the founder of the Vongola Famiglia, a vigilante group that was formed to protect the town and its people from the outlaws in Italy. After things had happened between him and his Mist guardian, he retired from his position and moved to Japan.

He even changed his name to protect his family and his future descendants.

Ietsuna later learnt more about his great-grandfather, the Vongola Famiglia's history and the Dying Will Flame and some things that he could not understand started to make much more sense. 

He could catch the ball in the baseball game easily, he could dodge any attacks directed to him and he could feel any incoming danger.

It was all because of the blood he inherited from Giotto; the blood of Vongola. With this blood, he (without knowing) was able to use the Vongola Hyper Intuition, a power that could see through all. 

There were Flames of the Sky, one of the types of Dying Will Flames. His great-grandfather had the Sky Flame and he was the boss of the Vongola Famiglia. Thus, he earned the title Great Sky of Vongola. 

Ietsuna had a mixed feeling after knowing the secret. 

Part of his feelings said that it felt great to be the great-grandson of the Great Sky of Vongola. If he lived in Italy, he would be famous but also being an easy target by the enemies. 

Another part of his feelings, he wished that he had not known the secret. Giotto had been doing his best to cover his tracks so that no one could find him and his family in Japan. Ietsuna was afraid that he would accidentally expose his family's true identity to the enemies. 

The enemies might come over to hurt his family and his friends, forcing him to surrender himself if he wanted them to be safe. 

Even his grandfather, Yoshimune was kidnapped by the mafia members. He knew why his father was overprotective towards him. 

If he did not know about the secret, he would be able to go to school in peace and having fun with his friends while participating in any school activities. He would be cooking for his father, Mrs Tanaka and Hatsuka. 

Without even thinking about the Vongola and the mafia. 

_**"I plan to tell you when you grow older. Since being an adult, you will be able to accept and understand better. But, after you've activated your Sky Flame, I have to tell you everything before you start panicking about the fire burning at your forehead."** _

His father had a point. Not knowing anything about it would be dangerous. He mentally imagining someone approaching him and pointing their pistol at his head with their threatening look, asking him if he was Vongola Primo's descendant. 

There was something else in his mind. If Giotto was a strong Vongola boss, why Daemon Spade betrayed him when he also wanted to make the Vongola Famiglia stronger than he had imagined?

_**"You are too kind, Primo. You are not fit to be the boss because of your kind nature."** _

Ietsuna frowned. Was it a crime for being kind to anyone? 

"Oi, Sawada!"

He blinked his eyes, snapping from his own thoughts. Sakaguchi was carrying a watermelon and he had been waiting for him to answer his question. 

It was almost the end of the summer holidays. Ietsuna along with Sakaguchi, Aratani and Kataoka Shiori was planning to go to Takeo's house to do some revision together for their final year exam. Since Ietsuna had missed lots of lessons after the assault incident, they would share their notes to him.

"Uh, did you say something to me, Sakaguchi?"

"Yes. I'm asking you if this watermelon is big enough to share with everyone at Takeo's house."

"I...I think it's already big enough. Takeo mentioned that his family members were away for summer vacation. Only him and his granduncle in the house."

"Well, we'll just take this one. And honestly, Sawada, what have you been thinking lately?"

"It's nothing. You don't need to worry about it."

"We are worried about you," Sakaguchi said sternly. "After that assault incident, you were much quieter. You don't talk much. You were always in the library during the lunch break. We had the feeling that you wanted to avoid everyone. Did Hatanaka or those attackers do something nasty to you?"

"N-no, Hatanaka did not do anything bad to me. I...I was trying to save him from those seniors. Nothing happened after that day. It's just that..."

"Just what?"

Ietsuna was quiet again and he was not looking at Sakaguchi. It was true that he had been avoiding his friends after knowing his family's secret. He could not stop thinking if his friends or his family were in danger because of his true identity. 

_"I'm not a normal boy. I inherited a special power from my great-grandfather. Because he was a famous boss in Italy, the enemies would not hesitate to find him and his possible descendants to eliminate them. Even if they had to hurt innocent people to achieve their goal."_

That would be his honest answer from his mind but he could not tell Sakaguchi or anyone else. 

He hated to lie but he had no choice. If he tried to avoid them, maybe they would start to ignore him. He better off to have no friends rather than watching them suffer. 

Because of him. 

"...I was still frightened after being stabbed by that senior student. It felt like it happened yesterday."

"Is that so?"

"Yes," Ietsuna tried to smile as he pointed his finger at his chest. "The wound is already recovered but it sometimes stings. That's what I've been thinking lately. I didn't want all of you to worry about me. I...I'm sorry..." 

"That's what is in your mind? You can just tell us, maybe we can help."

"I...I don't want to burden you and anyone else-"

"Sawada, we never thought of you as a burden. If you need help, just tell us. We may not be your best option to seek help but we'll try."

He knew Sakaguchi was sincere but Ietsuna would not want to drag him and his friends into his serious business. 

He avoided them for a reason. It also hurt to lose friends. 

* * *

They spent almost two hours revising and they decided to take a short break. Ietsuna volunteered to go and cut the watermelon while Takeo went to take some drinks for everyone to drink. 

He arrived at the kitchen and he was looking for a knife. He had forgotten to ask Takeo for the knife as he searched on his own until he found something that it looked more than just a kitchen knife. It was longer than any ordinary kitchen knife and he later realised it was a short sword. 

He gulped nervously. Why there was a short sword in the kitchen?

"Ietsuna, why are you standing there?"

He turned around and he saw an older man who was about his grandfather's age standing beside the kitchen door. The older man blinked with surprise to see him holding a short sword before he asked him again. 

"Where did you get that short sword, Ietsuna?"

"Uh, I..." Ietsuna quickly placed it on the table and bowed. "I'm sorry, uncle Kazuhiro! I'm looking for a knife to cut the watermelon but I...I found this instead-"

"Ah, there's no need to apologise," Kazuhiro chuckled as he approached and keeping the short sword in another drawer. "Must be my nephews who were too lazy to keep it in the dojo. I'll have to talk to them once they are back from vacation."

"I see."

"I get the knife for you, so just wait for a moment."

Kazuhiro was checking each of the drawers to look for a suitable knife to cut the watermelon. Ietsuna was waiting and his urge to ask him something grew stronger. 

"Uncle Kazuhiro?"

"Yes?"

"How long have you been friends with my grandpa?"

"My brother and I had been friends with Yoshi since we were little. Every time my father wanted to visit his old friend, he would bring both of us along to play with his son."

"Then, do you know many things about my great-grandpa?"

Kazuhiro was glancing at Ietsuna and he could see the boy's troubled look. He found a larger knife and he placed it aside. Instead of cutting the watermelon, he went to pour some green tea in two cups and he gave one for him to drink. 

"I assumed that you have known the truth about your family or you would not be asking me this question." 

"I'm sorry for being rude. I...I couldn't help asking since..."

"Is there something bothering your mind?"

"...yes. I even had bad dreams about it. And...I don't have anyone to talk to. I thought of my father but was busy with his work. I don't want him to worry about me. I wished that my grandfather was still around so that I...I could talk to him..."

"Ietsuna, if you want to talk about the Vongola family, you can tell me." 

"You know about the Vongola?"

"My brother and I were Asari Ugetsu's sons, remember?" Kazuhiro laughed. "My father shared his story to us and we were pretty amazed. Yoshi had a cooler story to hear since his father was the Great Sky of Vongola."

"How did my grandfather react once he heard about the Vongola?"

"Same as me. Amazed and proud of his father. Yoshi wanted to be as strong as his father but because of the illness he inherited from his mother, he was fully discouraged. Having someone else to protect him especially your late grandmother, Sayuri, he felt more useless. But Ieyasu-san was patient. He knew Yoshi had great potential and had stronger power as he was. He even encouraged him to learn how to fight and unlocking his Sky Flame so that Yoshi would be able to protect himself and his family in the future."

"But, grandpa had asthma. Wouldn't it be too risky for him to unleash the power?"

"Any parent would not let their fragile child do something dangerous but Ieyasu-san was different. If he did not teach his child how to fight, who will protect him and his future descendants? He even forced his youngest guardian to fight during the battle in Italy."

"Really?"

"Yes. Ieyasu-san's actions were sometimes unpredictable but he had his reasons. He was teaching Yoshi to not waste his talent and put it in good use."

"What if...if any mafia members managed to find my family? I wished that I didn't know about this secret because...I was afraid that I might slip it. They were so brutal and they would do anything to find Primo's descendant. I...I tried to avoid my friends so that one day, the mafia members would not hurt them...just to find me or my father." 

"Goodness gracious! You have been thinking that far, Ietsuna. Is that what is in your mind?"

Ietsuna felt embarrassed and he was staring at the cup of tea he was holding. Kazuhiro was concerned as he placed his hand on his shoulder to ease his troubled mind. 

"This secret may be too heavy for you to handle but I believe that you will not reveal it to anyone. Besides, Ieyasu-san did not want his descendants to go and take back what truly belonged to them. All he wanted was to see all of you living in a happy life." 

"...uncle Kazuhiro, is it wrong to be a kind person? I have the feeling that some people didn't want my great-grandpa to be the boss because he was too kind."

"Primo's kindness is what makes him becoming the strongest boss in the Vongola family. Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Affection, gentleness, warmth, concern, and care are words that are associated with kindness. If anyone implies that kindness is making someone naive or weak, then it is not true. Being kind often requires courage and strength." 

"I...I wish that I could see him in person."

"He may not be around but he will always be watching you, your father and his future descendants," Kazuhiro smiled. "He's alive because of his blood running inside your veins."

He was staring at his reflection from the green tea and he slowly smiled to himself. He felt better and his uneasiness had lifted from his heart. 

"Feeling better?"

"Much better," Ietsuna smiled wider. "Thank you so much, uncle Kazuhiro."

"You are welcome. Do you want me to help you cut the watermelon?"

"That would be great."


	33. graduation

There were no recent cases of bully ever since the four seniors were arrested for attacking two junior high school students and possessing a harmful weapon. The police had been interrogating them to tell who was their boss but they refused to say anything and they rather go to jail than exposing their boss's identity. 

The junior high school principal had been apologising to Ietsuna for overlooking the assault incident and he was making sure that the Boxing club room would be demolished as soon as possible. The principal also told the blond boy that he had received the letter from Hatanaka Masato who had left Japan to follow his new family to Italy. 

Ietsuna was one of the few students who would miss him and he had been wondering if he would ever meet him again in future. 

Spring season had approached and the third-year students were seen exchanging notebooks with each other in hopes that they would contact each other after leaving junior high school. The first-year and second-year students were tasked to decorate the whole school for the third-year students' graduation day and they also need to rehearse sending-off ceremony. Some school clubs were rehearsing a play, dance, or piece of music in preparation for the graduation day.

"Hey, did you buy any present for our seniors?"

"Of course I do! We would give it to our favourite seniors."

"Who are you going to give it to?"

"I'm not telling."

"Oh, I know! You're planning to give it to senior Sawada?"

"H-how did you know?!"

"You are not alone, almost everyone wants to give their presents to him. He's not only good-looking but he's also a kind and gentle person. Whoever is marrying him would be the luckiest woman in the world."

The younger girls were giggling louder and the librarian had to scold them for making too much noise in the library. They did not know that Ietsuna and his friends were also in the library to read some books. Once the younger girls left the library, Ietsuna let out a small sigh and he felt quite embarrassed after hearing their conversation. 

"You are pretty popular, Sawada. I bet you'll receive the most number of farewell presents from girls," Aratani commented with a small grin on her face. 

"I don't know but I'm feeling quite uncomfortable about it," Ietsuna replied. "I remember some of them had been stalking me around until the teacher had to shout at them for trying to skip lessons."

"Uncomfortable?" Sakaguchi raised his eyebrows. "Some boys were jealous of you for getting lots of attention from the girls. They wished that they were in your place." 

"I would be glad if they want to stand in my shoes."

"It'll be over once we stepped out of this school. But I guess it won't change if you continue to study at senior high school," Aratani commented. 

"The students here are busy decorating and rehearsing for the ceremony. Reminds of how we used to do that last two years to our seniors," added Sakaguchi.

"Yes, Hatsuka graduated last year and she was crying," Ietsuna grinned. "She told me that she might not able to see her close friends since they were either going to work or studying at a different high school."

"This is why we have a post office," said Aratani. "She can always send letters if she misses them so much."

"Speaking of that, is it true that Hatanaka Masato went to stay at overseas?" asked Sakaguchi.

"I thought you already knew from our homeroom teacher," said Ietsuna. 

"Yes, but who knows our homeroom teacher only tell us to cover the truth? Maybe he was finally expelled from school because of the assault incident?"

"Sakaguchi, both Sawada and Hatanaka were victims. Why would the school wanted to expel him for that?"

"He's a school bully, remember?"

Ietsuna cleared his throat to silence both of them before he answered the question.

"It's true that Hatanaka went overseas with his new family. Things had been rough after his mother kicked him out of the house but she gave herself a chance to accept her son again all thanks to her new husband's advice. Hatanaka is not a bad person. He's just confused. I'm glad that he finally made the right decision to leave the gangster group. He even used up all his savings to return all the money he took from the junior students before he left."

"Seriously?" Aratani blinked her eyes with surprise. "Or you told him to do that?"

"No. He did it on his own accord." 

"I find it hard to believe that he had changed," Sakaguchi sighed. "He was so scary when he tried to punch me for a little accident I've made when we were in the first year of school."

"Yes and that was the first time we saw Sawada fought against him. Anyway, why you did not just inform the teachers that Hatanaka was in danger?" Aratani frowned. "Those seniors were carrying a dangerous weapon and you were heavily injured because of them."

"I did think of trying to inform any teachers around to stop them from hurting Hatanaka. But, my brain kept on telling me to save him. It would be too late for him if I went to look for any teachers."

"I'm not as brave as you are, Sawada. I would rather scream for help than approaching those seniors," said Sakaguchi. 

"I did what I feel like it is the right thing to do," Ietsuna smiled. "I do not wish to see people getting hurt."

"Well, our lunchtime is almost over," Aratani looked at the clock. "We should return to our classroom."

"There's no need to rush," Sakaguchi shrugged his shoulders. "We were done with our final year exam and there's nothing we can do in the classroom."

"Yes but I don't think we are allowed to stay in the library for a longer time. Other students needed to use the library for their lessons," said Aratani. 

"Fine, let's leave then."

"Uh, you two go ahead," said Ietsuna. "I need to go and meet someone."

"Huh? Meet someone?" asked Sakaguchi. "Who could it be?"

"I'll tell you later. See you again!"

* * *

Ietsuna reached the school infirmary and he was surprised to see the door was open. He glanced and he saw doctor Takahashi putting old files in the box. She was too busy cleaning to notice his presence and he knocked on the door a little loudly to catch her attention. She turned around and there was the same unfriendly look on her face.

"Oh, it's you, Sawada. Why are you here? Are you not feeling well?"

"No, I'm in good health," Ietsuna stepped in. "Are you going somewhere else?"

"No, I'm doing some spring cleaning," she replied. "I need to take out all the third-year students' files so that I could return it to them."

"I see."

"So, why are you here?"

She was still doing some cleaning while waiting for his answer. Ietsuna was trying to think of what he wanted to say first as he did not want to make her wait. He was amazed that she was rather patient, unlike the last time where she would snap for making her wasting her precious time. 

"I...I just want to say thank you for saving my life."

"...For what?"

"I...I heard from Hatanaka. He was screaming for help and you were there. You were in shock to see my condition and you ran to school to make an emergency call. Then you returned to tend my injury before I was taken to the hospital. If it wasn't because of you, I would have..."

"The primary duty of a doctor is for the care and safety of patients," she replied while stacking the books. "I managed to stop the bleeding from your wound. I did what a doctor should do."

"But, I thought you hate me. For causing your sister's death."

"A doctor will still fulfil their duty whether you are a good or a bad person. This also applies to you. You are trying to save someone who used to bully you."

"You can let other doctors save me. Why would you want to save me if you hate me?"

"...I just don't want to lose another family member."

"Huh?"

"My sister started to feel uncomfortable when she reached at the age of eight. The physician did a checkup on her and told my parents that she suffered an unknown illness. She was so sick that the school decided to send a teacher to my house to teach her. She was the reason why I wanted to be a doctor and my parents were against my dream."

"Why they don't want you to be a doctor?"

"They don't trust foreigners. My sister was the only one who supported my dream and she was happy to hear my great achievement while I was studying overseas. Things turned sour ever since I told her to abort her baby. I tried to explain that she would die if she still wanted to have the baby but she would not listen. We stopped sending letters until the day I return to Japan and I later learnt that I lost my parents and my sister. I originally hated you and your father for her death but after seeing you getting injured, part of me telling me something that I could not forget."

"What is it?"

"Be prepared to lose another family member."

Ietsuna was looking at her expression and she was exhausted. 

Exhausted for keeping the grudge for too long. And the grudge was keeping her from doing the right thing. 

"My mother still cares about you although you told her to abort the baby."

"...what makes you think of that?"

"My father told me that she had always wanted you to see her baby. She knew that you would be devastated after losing family members and she wished that you will be a good aunt."

Ietsuna slowly smiled and he had his arms wide open. 

"You must be lonely. You can use my shoulder if you want to cry." 

She was staring at him for a few minutes and she slowly imagining him as her late younger sister. 

Reiko was smiling widely at her with her arms wide open. She looked healthier than the last time she suffered from an unknown illness. 

_"I'm here, Ryoko! I miss you so much!"_

Doctor Takahashi could not hold back her tears and she went to hug Ietsuna as tightly as she could. She sobbed as if she had not been crying for many years. 

"I...I'm so sorry...for...everything...I'm...I'm all alone...and I...I feel...terrible...as a human..."

Ietsuna hugged her back and he almost wanted to cry. He finally acknowledged her as his aunt, the family member who had been the closest to his late mother aside from his father. 

"It's alright. I forgive you, aunt Ryoko."

* * *

The junior high school graduation ceremony was held in the morning with the whole students, teachers, parents and special guests attending the ceremony. As they waited, the third-year students followed their homeroom teacher and they walked into the school gym. The third-year students had bright orange and yellow flowers pinned on to their school uniforms.

The school pianist played a piece of light music in the background and the homeroom teachers started to call the graduating student names. Once they received their certificates, there was a speech from the school principal and some important guests before the third-year students were treated to performances by the first-year and second-year students. The first years sang a beautiful song and the second years were doing a traditional dance. The Music Club members were doing a musical performance and the Drama Club members performing a play before they wished the third years good luck in their future.

At the end of the ceremony, the students stood in a line and waved goodbye to the graduates as they left. Many junior students giving their favourite seniors a present and a card. As expected by Aratani, Ietsuna and some other popular seniors were the ones who received the most gifts from the juniors. The students were later permitted to go home early after the graduation ceremony. 

"Hey, Sakaguchi," Ietsuna called out and he gave some sweets and chocolates to him. "You can have some of them. I don't think I could finish all of them."

"For real?" Sakaguchi's eyes widened with amazement. "Are you sure about it?"

"Why not? I want to share it with my friends. I'll just keep some for Hatsuka." 

"Thank you so much!" 

Ietsuna simply smiled at him and after sharing his gifts to his friends, he went to look for his father before both of them went home. 

He would spend his time doing some training with his father during the spring holiday before he was ready to become a senior high school student. 


	34. meeting

A man in his late forties was taking a taxi to meet someone in the town. It was a few minutes ride and he arrived at the large factory near the port. As he stepped out of the taxi, he told the driver to wait for him before he went to the factory door where a younger man with a tattoo on his left arm was waiting. 

Once he said his name, the younger man opened the factory door and led him to meet someone. The factory was filled with workers who were busy handling the machinery to produce some goods. He did not look at any of them and he was still following the younger man for quite some time. They soon arrived at the factory's basement and there was another brown-haired man about Katsuya's age, sitting while playing darts with his most boring look. 

The younger man knocked on the door twice loudly to catch the other's attention before he spoke out. 

"Boss, he's here."

The brown-haired man did not respond for a while as he was focusing to shoot at the red dot on the dartboard. The older man was almost losing his patience and when he was about to talk, the younger man gestured him to not speak when the boss was 'busy' trying to win his game. 

After the dart hit the red dot, the brown-haired man smirked wider and he turned around to see his right-hand man and his guest. 

"Good morning, Kenichi. What brings you to come over to my place?" 

The older man named Kenichi frowned and he sat on the chair, facing against the boss. His right-hand man proceeded to exit the room to avoid anyone from entering. 

Kenichi, the oldest brother of Katsuya and Kouichi owned a famous confectionery shop in a small city. He was supposed to be the head of the Hibari clan but because his first wife was unable to have a child, the previous head decided to choose Katsuya. Kenichi was not satisfied and he would do anything to take back what he deserved. He had been secretly cooperating with another mysterious yakuza organisation who would help him to achieve his goal.

"Nori, I heard from my business partner that you haven't been sending your supplies to me. May I know the reason why?" 

"You heard the news, Kenichi, " the boss named Nori answered as he took out a newspaper clipping. "Four senior students were arrested for assaulting two junior students and possessing a dangerous weapon." 

"Your second lieutenant and his brothers would not reveal who's the boss. Why are you worrying about that?" 

"I appreciate their true sacrifice but I do not want the police to come over to my place," Nori's look darkened. "If anything happens to me, you will suffer as well." 

"You have my words. I will not let anyone know about your organisation. Once I successfully become the head of the clan, I will ally with you."

"How long I need to wait?"

"You don't need to wait much longer. My new wife already gave birth to a baby boy. I shall wait for my old man to make me the head of the clan. I'm sick of seeing his smug face whenever I see him."

"You are talking about Hibari Katsuya?" the brown-haired man laughed. "He's not easy to deal with. Are you sure he doesn't know anything about your plan?"

"He's been keeping an eye on me but he is yet to know my plan."

"Why can't you just...eliminate him?"

"I would have done that earlier," Kenichi frowned. "He has a lot of followers and he's my old man's favourite child. If I kill him, it would be obvious that I wanted him dead just for the sake of the position."

"True. Looks like you need to work a little harder," the brown-haired man stood up. "The junior high school principal already demolished the Boxing Club room. Where can I find a better place to recruit more followers?"

"I'll find a way. The principal from senior high school is my good friend and I still can persuade him to not demolish the Boxing Club room. If not, I'll find another place for you to secretly get more followers."

"Once you are done, I will continue to deliver my supplies to you."

After spending an hour talking to the boss, Kenichi decided to return home as quickly as he could to avoid being questioned by Katsuya. The boss's right-hand man returned to see his boss and he was surprised to see him laughing with amusement. 

"Boss, is there anything wrong?"

"What a desperate man," Nori laughed before he could stop himself. "He's willing to do anything to get his position."

"Boss, is it alright to trust him?"

"He should be the one asking if it is alright to trust me," he replied and he narrowed his eyes. "He is nothing but a tool for my revenge."

"Revenge?"

"Ren, if you want to destroy your enemy," he pointed his finger at his right temple. "You need to act wisely."

Someone was knocking on the door and once it was opened, one of the factory workers was carrying a large box, saying that it was a delivery for his boss. The right-hand man named Ren took the box and told the worker to leave before he passed it to Nori.

Nori opened the box carefully and he saw some jars of sweets wrapped with newspapers. 

"Boss, isn't that..."

"Yes, no doubt about it." 

Nori picked up one of the jars and he could not stop looking at it. 

"It is my favourite sweet. Ever since I was a student."

* * *

The feeling of entering senior high school was different from when Ietsuna was a first-year student in junior high school. He began to think of his future when he realised that he was becoming an older teen and he would be an adult for another few more years. 

Most of his classmates and schoolmates managed to pass the entrance exam while some either failed or they decided to work to support their family. Ietsuna was not the only student with blond hair because there were also a few numbers of foreign students in the school. Moreover, he was happy to see that Hasegawa Aratani, Kataoka Shiori, Sakaguchi Kuro and Yamamoto Takeo coming to school with him. 

Hatsuka along with other student council members welcomed the first-year students and they were bringing them to walk around the school and introducing the clubs that were available in school. 

"Hey, Ietsuna! Why don't you try joining the Cooking Club? The president would be happy if you join his club."

"How can you tell that he would be happy?"

"Last year, I told him that I have a little brother who is extremely good at cooking," Hatsuka grinned. "He can't wait to see your cooking skills once you come to this school."

"I'm not that great," Ietsuna smiled awkwardly. "I only cook because I do not wish to trouble Mrs Tanaka to cook for me and my father-"

"Don't be too modest!" Sakaguchi slapped his shoulder. "Your cooking is always the best! Even better than my mother's cooking."

"Your mother would slaughter you if she hears what you said," Aratani commented.

"H-hey, I didn't mean that. I'm still fine with her cooking," said Sakaguchi. 

"I thought you don't want to continue studying in senior high school," added Kataoka. 

"Well, I told her that I'd rather stay at home and do nothing than studying. So she told me to go and work as a fisherman with my uncle," Sakaguchi explained and he sighed. "The sea is horrible especially when it rains, so, here I am."

"I'm glad you made the right choice," Ietsuna commented. "Unless you really want to go to the sea."

"No! I can't stand the fish smell! I would love to smell books and inks than fishes!"

"It's a good thing you decided to continue studying," Hatsuka laughed. "Have you decided what club to join?"

"I'm still sticking with Kendo Club," Takeo answered. "I can't wait to meet the members there."

"I don't know. Maybe Baseball Club would do," said Sakaguchi.

"Ah, I would love to join any of the martial art clubs here," said Kataoka. "I can't decide what to join."

"Kataoka, you want to learn how to fight?" Ietsuna asked with surprise. "That is pretty unexpected from you."

"I have the same reason as yours, Sawada," Kataoka smiled. "I want to learn to protect myself."

"Aside from Kendo Club, the school have Judo Club, Karate Club and Kyudo Club (Japanese archery)," Hatsuka explained. "You can ask for advice from the president of the clubs I've mentioned. I'm sure they can help you to choose which one you would like to join."

"Alright, thank you!" said Kataoka. 

Hatsuka then turned to look at Ietsuna. 

"What do you think? Are you interested to join the Cooking Club? Or do you prefer to join other clubs?"

"Since you recommend me to join the Cooking Club, then I'll join," Ietsuna answered. 

"I'm in too," added Aratani.

"You too?" asked Ietsuna. 

"I want to try to make some new food to surprise my father. But, I will need to learn the basic of cooking, right?"

"Sounds great! I won't be alone in the club!"

"Alright! After choosing the club you would like to join, you may go and meet the presidents."

* * *

"Greetings and welcome to all the new members. My name is Sugihara Kohaku, a third-year student and a president of the Cooking Club. I am happy to see the new members coming to join us for today. Before we start with our first activity, I would like to have the new members to introduce themselves."

Sugihara Kohaku appeared to be a tall and lean third-year student with short, wavy black hair that matched his hazel-coloured eyes. He had a wide knowledge of food and cooking as his father was a chef and owned a famous restaurant.

Each of the new members (all first-years) introduced themselves and when it was Ietsuna's turn to introduce himself, he heard some whispers from other students. 

The fear of isolation for being different was about to resurface. He did not want this to happen again. If he could hear properly, some could recognise him as a student who was severely assaulted by the four gangsters last year.

"Is he the one?"

"I think so. The authorities would not tell but I daresay he's the victim."

"Poor boy. He must be traumatised after that assault."

"The other victim must have been hiding because he was afraid that those attackers might return." 

"And yet, he's here. If I were him, I would not dare to come out, attracting the gangsters' attention."

Ietsuna's mind grew tense and he wished that he would leave-

"Hey, Sawada."

He blinked and Aratani had been patting his arm to get his attention. She shook her head before she spoke. 

"You can just ignore them. It's not worth worrying over their comments."

He stared at her and he gave a relieved smile. 

"I'm sorry for worrying you. And thank you, Aratani."

She nodded her head and he apologised to Sugihara for keeping him from waiting. 

"My name is Sawada Ietsuna, a first-year student. Pleased to meet you, president Sugihara."

"Oh, Sawada Ietsuna?" the president clapped his hands once. "You must be Tanaka Hatsuka's good friend, right?"

"Yes, we've known each other since I was young."

"I heard from her that you are highly skilled in cooking. Is it true?"

"I...I lost my mother after I was born and I do not want to trouble her grandmother to cook for me and my father. So I started to cook when I was nine or ten."

The unpleasant whispers began to fade and the students were amazed after hearing his story. Sugihara nodded before he spoke again. 

"I see. I am highly impressed that you start to cook at an early age. It is rare to see any people about your age cook for the family since not all parents or guardians were willing to let their children touch the stove, fire or even allowing them to enter the kitchen."

The president gave a smile to Ietsuna and after the first-year students were done introducing themselves, he had all the members to form a group of three people. Most of them preferred to sit with someone they knew while Ietsuna and Aratani needed another one more student to join them. 

They soon noticed a girl with short brown hair who sat alone near the window. When Ietsuna politely asked her if she would like to join them, she turned to look at them with a scowl on her face. Aratani nudged his arm to ask him. 

"Uh, Sawada. Does this girl reminded you of someone?"

"You mean Hatanaka Masato?"

"Yes. Her look is as ugly as his look when we first met him. What should we do?"


	35. attention

Ietsuna was unsure if he still wanted the girl to join him and Aratani as he had the feeling that she did not want to mix with the new members. Sugihara came to them to ask what was happening before he turned to look at the girl. 

"Ikehara, you can't show your face like that to the new members. You ought to welcome them as a part of the club."

The girl was still scowling and she replied to him with an arrogant tone. 

"I don't have time to deal with the new members. I'd rather sit with the old members."

Some members were annoyed with her attitude and they secretly wanted her to just team up with Ietsuna and Aratani so that they could start to do some cooking. Sugihara let out a small sigh and it was a headache for him to deal with the unfriendly girl. He looked around and he called out the two girls to sit with her. 

"Mika, Taki. I'm sorry but could both of you please sit with Ikehara? Just only for today."

The girls groaned but they stood up and they had their dislike look on their faces once they reached to sit with the girl. Sugihara then told Ietsuna and Aratani to sit with another wavy black-haired girl named Nakagawa Kaede before he told the members that he would teach them how to prepare a breakfast meal. 

"Nice to meet you. I'm Sawada Ietsuna and this is my friend, Hasegawa Aratani," he bowed. "I'm sorry for causing your friends to sit with someone else."

"Oh no, don't mention it. I'm Nakagawa Kaede, a second-year student. Pleased to meet both of you and welcome to the Cooking Club."

"Thank you, senior Nakagawa," said Aratani as she and Ietsuna took a seat. "Does that girl often treated the new members badly?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Nakagawa replied while taking out a rice cooker from the drawer. "Her name is Ikehara Kei, a third-year student. When she was in the first year, she badly wanted to join the Drama Club because she wanted to be an actress."

"She wants to be an actress?" Ietsuna blinked with surprise. "Then why is she in the Cooking Club?"

"The Drama Club was full and the president could not accept more new members," Nakagawa answered. "I heard from president Sugihara that her father forced her to join the Cooking Club so that she could be a good wife once she's married."

"I don't agree with her father's idea," Aratani replied shortly. 

"Her father is a very conservative man," said Nakagawa. "He is a school teacher in an elementary school."

"But it looks like no one likes her," Ietsuna added while glancing at Ikehara Kei who looked like she disagreed with the other two girls. 

"You already know the reason. Look how she treated both of you," Nakagawa passed the aprons and scarves to both of them. "Might as well we need to start making a breakfast meal. By the way, I heard that you learn to cook at an early age. What are the dishes you make for breakfast?"

"When I first learn, I made miso soup, baked salmon, natto and cucumber salad," Ietsuna answered. "I sometimes make grilled fish, replacing baked salmon, pickled vegetables and seasoned dried seaweed."

"In that case, would you let me and your friend see your preparation? You can also teach her at the same time."

Ietsuna nodded and he started to prepare the breakfast dishes. He taught Aratani to chop the green onions, tofu and wakame seaweed, the ingredients that were needed for the miso soup. He also showed her and Nakagawa how he baked the salmon. 

Once the Cooking Club members were done with their task, Sugihara went to each table to see and taste their dishes. Some were good and some needed more improvement. The moment he reached and tasted Ietsuna's dishes, his eyes widened with delight. 

"Does it taste good, president Sugihara?" asked Nakagawa.

"This is just unexpectedly good!" Sugihara commented. "The taste is almost as good as my father's cooking!"

"I agree. Sawada's cooking skill is on another level."

"Uh, you don't need to say that," Ietsuna said awkwardly. 

"You deserve to be complimented," Aratani patted his shoulder. "Everyone loves your food."

"Speaking of dishes, do you know how to bake cakes and cookies?" asked Sugihara.

"I seldom do those. I mean, I only bake something for dinner," Ietsuna answered.

"No need to worry. As a member of a Cooking Club, you will get to learn more than just making breakfast dishes," Sugihara explained. "The Cooking Club plays a big part in any activities organised by the school. We made some traditional desserts and beverages for the guests during the graduation ceremony and we also made lots of cakes and pastries for the school carnival. As for the upcoming school carnival, I will need to talk to the principal before I can announce what we shall make this year."

"Sounds like a busy day for the Cooking Club," said Aratani.

"It does but I can promise you that it will be a great experience you will ever remember after leaving school."

"In that case, I can't wait to learn more from you and everyone in the club."

Sugihara smiled at Ietsuna and he later dismissed the club meeting as the school hours had ended.

All the members packed their things and they were leaving the Cooking Club room. Ietsuna, Aratani and Nakagawa were still cleaning their cooking utensils when Ikehara Kei came to them with her same scowling look. She was glaring at the blond boy as if he had borrowed some money from her. 

"Don't get too cocky just because the president loves your cooking," she commented. 

"Senior Ikehara, stop intimidating the new member," said Nakagawa sternly. 

"You don't have the right to order me, Nakagawa," Ikehara hissed angrily. "I am a year older than you and you should pay more respect to me."

Without waiting for Nakagawa to answer, Ikehara left the room, stomping her foot loudly. Aratani shook her head and she let out a small sigh. 

"What's her problem? She acts like the whole world owe her something. Now she started to tyrannize Sawada." 

"She's jealous because Sawada gets more attention from everyone compared to her," Nakagawa answered. "After she joined this club, her cooking skills improved a lot and she was the one who did the most work whenever there's an event at school."

"Isn't that a good thing?" said Ietsuna. "I'm not going to steal the credit from her. Why would she want to treat me coldly?" 

"She would do anything to get people's attention," said Nakagawa. "The more people liked her, the prouder she is."

"No wonder she wants to be an actress," Aratani muttered. 

Ietsuna had been thinking while both of them were still talking. He never thought that he would be meeting someone who loved to get lots of attention from everyone. He too became people's attention. Whether it was good or bad, he grew to feel tired about it. 

* * *

"I told you he's happy to see you," said Hatsuka as she packed her school bag. "He finally knows that I wouldn't lie about your cooking skill."

"I'm sorry but I can't help noticing. You and senior Sugihara seemed to be pretty close."

"That's because his father is my father's good friend. Both of them studied at the same university."

"Really?"

"Yes. I didn't know at first when I came here and my sister told me that Mr Sugihara had a son studying in the same school."

"I see."

"Is there anything wrong, Ietsuna? Wait, did that wound hurt you again?"

"N-no, I'm fine. The wound doesn't hurt me already. It's just...it's about a girl named Ikehara Kei."

"Oh, what about her?"

"Aratani and I were looking for another one more member to form a group of three. She was the only one but she refused to join us and she glared at us. Senior Sugihara ended up calling the other two old members to join her while we sat with another member. And, she hates me for getting more attention from the senior and the members."

"Ah, the girl who made desserts for the guests during an event last year. You are not the only one she dislikes. She dislikes whoever is more popular than her. Almost the whole school knows about her attitude."

"I heard that she badly wanted to join the Drama Club because she wanted to be an actress."

"Oh, yes she did. Senior Sugihara once told me that she had been begging at the Drama Club's president to take her in but he couldn't as it was already full."

"She begged him?" Ietsuna raised his eyebrows.

"Yes. Even if she could not join the Drama Club, she still sticks with her dream career," said Hatsuka. "Don't mind her, Ietsuna. Just focus on your own stuff because it would be a real headache if you think of how she treated you."

They both left the school and while they were on their way home, Hatsuka wanted to stop by at a confectionery shop to buy some sweets. 

The Momo Confectionery Shop was a famous shop that sold varieties of local sweets and desserts. The shop also sells different kinds of sweets from different countries and it became a popular spot for students. Ietsuna only came for a few times when he was young as he was following Hatsuka and Hanako buying their favourite sweets. 

The shop had been running for quite a long time. Ietsuna remembered that it was owned by someone that Hatsuka knew. 

"Hello, Hatsuka! How are you doing?" a man in his thirties greeted her with a friendly smile. 

"Hello, uncle Shiro! How are you doing?"

"Doing better than before," he grinned. "Just recovered from my ankle injury."

"I told you not to go overboard with work," Hatsuka frowned. "Who's going to take care of this shop if something bad happens to you?"

"I'm not the boss. If anything happens to me, the boss will find someone else to take care of this shop."

"I'd rather have you to work here than anyone else," she pouted.

"Haha, still disliking the boss, huh?" he gently ruffled her hair before he later noticed Ietsuna's presence. "Oh, who's this boy?"

"This is Ietsuna. Remember the small blond boy who came with me and my sister?"

"Ah, I remember!" he laughed. "He always hid behind you because he was too shy."

Uncle Shiro took out a stick of dango from one of the food containers and he gave it to Ietsuna. 

"Here, this is for you."

"You know my favourite food?" Ietsuna asked with his surprised look. 

"Of course I know," he grinned. "I've known you and the two girls from young until now."

"I see," the blond boy smiled. "Thank you so much."

"Don't mention it," he replied and he turned to look at Hatsuka. "By the way, how's your sister?"

"She's doing fine. She's much busier ever since she started studying at university."

"Looks like she's doing great."

"Is there any new sweets here, uncle Shiro?"

"Well, more of them are coming by next month. The boss is in the mood of selling new items these days."

"He must be happy because his second wife finally gave birth to a child," Hatsuka rolled her eyes. 

"Come on. Shouldn't you be happy for him since he's been waiting for this to happen? Or is it because you dislike the fact that he would take over the clan?"

"I don't care about that and I'm not angry at his child," Hatsuka frowned. I don't like him because of the way he treated Satoshi."

"Ah, I see. I almost forgot that you are Sato-kun's childhood friend. But I didn't see him around lately. Is he alright?"

"He's fine. It's just that...he's been busy."

"Busy? Busy with what?"

Before Hatsuka could reply, another worker came in and asking Uncle Shiro about the large boxes that arrived in front of the shop. 

Ietsuna was looking at the boxes and for some strange reason, he felt something was off. 

"Hey, Shiro. These packages have arrived with the shop address on it. What should we do?"

"Just put all of them in the storeroom. And remember what the boss says. Do not open those boxes without his permission."

"But, what if it's the new stock-"

"If you do not want to get fired, I suggest you follow his instructions. Even I do not have the power to open it."

The worker nodded his head and later calling other workers to help to bring the boxes inside the storeroom. 

"Uncle Shiro, what are those boxes for?" Hatsuka asked curiously. 

"Honestly, I don't know. Maybe it's the new ingredient for his new dessert recipe."


	36. letter

The nightmares that Yoshinobu had been seeing while he was asleep was getting horrendous. It caused him to not able to sleep for the past few weeks and he suffered a major headache while working. He had no choice but to ask Kurosawa if he could leave early to see a doctor. 

He came home earlier and he ate some medicine to relieve his headache before he went back to his room. Placing his briefcase on the side of his desk, he sat down and he was feeling more tired and frustrated. 

"When this will end?"

He muttered and he buried his face with his hands. 

He slowly recalled what was the last thing he saw in his nightmare last night. 

He found himself standing in front of his house. He was back at his homeland before the earthquake happened. He was so sure that it was just a dream because he, his father and Reiko already evacuated along with other people to find a safer place to stay. 

It felt so real that he felt like he had returned to the past. Would that mean he was able to see his parents and his grandparents again? 

He raised his hand to touch the door to open. He entered the house and it brought back the feeling of coming back from school and meeting his family. 

He was about to enter the living room when he saw a dark-brown haired woman standing with her arms crossed. She was frowning and her lips were curved downward. 

It was normal to see his mother's angry look as it had been her personality but this time, it was more than just an angry look. 

Her anger felt like she wanted to murder someone. He started to feel afraid and he wanted to run away. His legs froze, not allowing him to walk or run away.

_**"Sawada Yoshinobu."** _

His mother spoke out with a cold tone. 

_**"Do you know why am I standing here to see you?"** _

_**"I...I don't know..."** _

**_"You dare to tell me that you don't know?"_ **

_**"I...I swear...I really don't know anything-"** _

He could not finish his sentences when his mother punched across his face. He fell on the floor and he groaned with pain. His mother's punch was too strong, causing him to suffer a dislocated jaw. He could not speak and he crawled backwards as his mother slowly approaching him. 

**_"I didn't raise you to say bad things to your grandfather, young man. I am expecting you to have some respect with your older family member. Now, look what have you done?"_ **

Her finger was pointing at a room where his grandfather was resting on his bed. His father was sitting beside him and he was crying, begging the other to wake up. 

Yoshinobu's eyes widened with horror. It was happening again. 

His mother grabbed his shirt collar and she growled at him. 

**_"Get out of this house. I do not have a bad-mannered son like you."_ **

He shook his head hard. He was on the verge of crying. This was not his mother. His mother would not treat him coldly. 

Or he deserved to be treated that way for hurting his grandfather's feelings? 

_**"Not getting out? Then take this."** _

She threw another punch at his face and he finally woke up from his sleep. His face looked sickly after witnessing that nightmare and his eyes were wet. 

He managed to keep his face neutral when he and Ietsuna had breakfast together before he went to school. While he was supposed to go to work, he went to see Kazuhiro tell him about his nightmare. 

He had enough with all the nightmares and he had wished that it would stop haunting his sleep. 

What he should do to stop all the madness lingering inside his mind?

_**I have written a letter to you and I placed it in my precious calligraphy kit. Be sure to read it because it is important.** _

He instantly remembered that his father had written a letter. He wanted to read it years ago but Mrs Tanaka came to gave him something, making him forget about the letter. 

He opened the drawer and he took out his father's calligraphy kit to find the letter. It was neatly placed on top of the calligraphy set with his name written on it. He was quite nervous and curious at the same time, wondering why the letter would be important to him. He opened the letter and it was his father's handwriting. 

A date was shown, it was written two weeks before he died. 

_To my dear son, Yoshinobu;  
  
You must be thinking of the reason why I would write a letter to you. There were many things I wanted to tell you but due to my health issues, I was afraid that I might never have a chance to do it. My asthma had worsened after I was caught by the mafia members.   
  
This may be long but it is important.   
  
First of all, it is about your late grandfather, Ieyasu.   
  
Honestly, after you argue with your grandfather, I am about to find you and punch you before making you apologise to him for saying mean things to him. But he stopped me. He would not allow me to do so as he knew you still could not get over with your mother's death. It was painful for him to see that you lost your mother at a young age. The age where you still needed your mother's guidance.   
  
While you have been spending your summer holidays at Katsuya's hometown, your grandfather was already dying and I have been spending most of the time staying by his side.   
  
He knew that you still refused to see him but he always wanted to see you for the one last time before he left.  
  
He soon started to tell me lots of things. Something that he cherished the most and something that he regretted the most.   
  
Once seeing or mentioning Vongola Primo or the Great Sky of Vongola, everyone sees him as a saint, or a protector. To him, he just wanted to help and protect the people.   
  
Being kind often requires courage and strength.  
  
It was true, Shin. Vongola Primo was not a weak leader. He was also a human. Before the existence of the Vongola Famiglia, he went through many hardships with his childhood friend. He knew he was weak and hopeless but he too wanted to help someone in need. He wished that he had the strength. He wanted to do something that no one ever did to him when he needed help the most.   
  
Like any other human, he also made a mistake. A mistake that caused the death of his friend. A mistake that also caused his guardian to take the darkest path, hence changing the vigilante group into a mafia family.   
  
Though he had made the decision to leave Italy after appointing a new boss and an external advisor of the Vongola Famiglia, he was feeling dejected when he had to leave his friends and everyone behind whom he treated them like his own family. Uncle Ugetsu often came over to see his boss and they too missed those times when they fought together as a family.   
  
Your grandfather was indeed happy after marrying your grandmother and had a family.   
  
You came home and your face went completely pale, realising that you were too late to apologise to him. You kneel beside him and you were crying. Crying even louder than the last time you cried after your mother died.   
  
Katsuya and Reiko heard the news and they immediately came over to attend the funeral. You had been silent most of the time and you could not stop crying. I was glad that Reiko was at your side.   
  
I was tempting to tell you everything he said to me before he died but I did not want you to suffer more pain in your heart.   
  
You lost your mother, your grandfather and Reiko. You were suffering from those nightmares. You were already reaching the limit and I grew worried about your condition.   
  
I am not dumb. I noticed your condition got worse after Reiko died. Even worse than my asthma.   
  
If anything happens to you, who will take care of Ietsuna? Who will be the one to tell him about the Vongola?  
  
And when will you learn to forgive yourself?  
  
No one can help you to fix your problem. You alone must fix it.   
  
The next one I wanted to tell is about your grandfather's last wish.   
  
His last wish was to return to his homeland.   
  
I was highly surprised to hear it and I knew it for a long time. Your grandmother once told me that he often talked about his life before he came to Japan. She had been listening to him and she knew his hidden desire. She told me that if he ever wanted to return to Italy, just fulfil his wish.   
  
She told him that it was fine to return where he came from. She would stay behind to take care of the rest of the family.   
  
I was reluctant to fulfil his wish because I disliked the idea of leaving the family behind. I did not want to be separated from my father.   
  
It took me some time for me to realise that it was the best for him to return where he came from. He managed to cover his tracks so that no one would find him and his family. Maybe someday, the enemy would find another way to find him and harm his family.   
  
He returned not only he missed his homeland and his friends but also his only way to protect his family.   
  
There was a reason why I told you to keep his cremation urn in the house instead of burying it in a burial vault. When the right time comes, you will need to bring his cremation urn, along with his belongings and talk to Kazuhiro. Once you listened to him, you can decide who to do this job.   
  
Either you, Kazuhiro or Ietsuna.   
  
Last and not least, you are doing a great job as a father.   
  
No matter how tired you were, you wanted to make sure that Ietsuna was living in a safe and comfortable environment. You were carrying your duty as a father seriously when you had to take him to the hospital for vaccination, cleaning up a room for him to sleep and getting someone else to take care of him while you were away for work. You even sacrificed some hours of sleeping just to feed him or rocking him to sleep because you wanted me to get more rest.   
  
It was not easy to raise a child and you did well.   
  
You were already a father and a mother to Ietsuna. He would be more grateful to have an amazing parent who raised him as a good child.   
  
I once said something when I saw Ietsuna for the first time.   
  
_

_**I have never thought that I would see my father again. Perhaps he's coming back to bring everyone together.** _

_  
I wanted to say that your grandfather came back again because he wanted to see you and tell you that he forgave you. After all, you were his grandson.  
  
I hope that you would find a way to remove all the guilt that was stored in your heart for a long time. If you want to save someone, you have to save yourself first.   
  
I wish you all the best in life, Shin.   
  
From your father, Yoshimune.  
  
P.S.: You must consult with Kazuhiro about this matter if you are ready to bring your grandfather back to his homeland. Whoever is going, please have a safe journey. _

Yoshinobu was in deep shock. The letter was indeed important. His father already knew that he had been suffering from pain and guilt. He had always wanted to hear it from someone. 

Someone who could tell him what was wrong with him. Someone who could at least what he should do to stop himself from suffering alone. 

"Uh, father...are you alright?"

Ietsuna had returned home and he had been wondering why his father came home early. Yoshinobu looked around and he was crying. The blond boy flinched when he saw his father's face and without warning, Yoshinobu stood up to hug his son. 

"F-father, why-"

"I'm so sorry...grandpa..."

"W-what??"

Ietsuna could not do anything as his father refused to let him go, hugging even tightly. He buried his face at his son's shoulder and he continued to cry. Ietsuna was confused and all he could do was to hug back his father. 


	37. healing

After finding out that his father was not feeling well due to lack of sleep, Ietsuna was making sure that he was sleeping on his bed before he went to the kitchen to prepare the dinner. He wanted to take some ingredients to cook but he had no idea what he should do. 

Seeing his father's condition, he could guess that he did not have the appetite to eat anything. He sat down at the dining room and he let out a small sigh. 

It was not the first time he saw his father suffering the darkness alone. To him, it all started after his grandfather passed away. His father managed to hide all his sadness so that he would not make him worry. Ietsuna could see that and he could not say anything about it. 

However, he could not stand it when his father was about to snap. The nightmares were proof that he could no longer hide it from his son. 

Ietsuna did not understand. What had happened between his father and his great-grandfather?

He heard someone was knocking the door and he quickly stood up to see who it was. 

"Oh, good evening, granny," Ietsuna greeted.

"Good evening, Ietsuna," Mrs Tanaka greeted as she smiled while carrying a basket of vegetables. "I brought some vegetables for you."

His eyes blinked looking at the vegetables in the basket. 

"That's...a lot of them. I can't simply take all of it-"

"My old friend delivered these to me and there were a lot of them. If I keep it, I am afraid that they cannot last long. So please take it."

"I..." he hesitated for a while until he took the basket from her arms. "Thank you. I...I don't know what to say. You helped me and my father a lot, and you even gave me lots of things. I wish I could repay your kindness." 

"You silly boy. I've been treating you and your father as my own family."

"...granny?"

"Yes?"

"If you had a family member who was suffering in the darkness alone, what would you do?"

"Well, I would approach them and ask what I could do to help. Even if they insist to not telling me, I would stay by their side to let them know that I would accompany them."

Ietsuna knitted his eyebrows and he started to feel guilty of not helping his father. Even if his father said that he was fine, he would have done something to stop him from descending in the darkness. 

"What is the matter, Ietsuna?"

"Granny, I...I don't know what I could do to help my father."

He gripped the basket tightly and he lowered his head. 

"After my grandpa died, he seemed to avoid me lots of times. He would not want to tell me that my grandpa and my mother died because he feared that I would be upset. He was trying to move on. He told me the truth. The moment I accepted their deaths, I slowly realised that he was trapped behind me. And, no matter how many times I tried to ask about his nightmares, he would not want to tell me. If I force him to answer, he would be angry at me."

"Why would he be angry at you? He rarely did that to you."

"He...he did, once. When I tried to use the knife to cut something." 

He instantly remembered that he took the kitchen knife to try to learn how to cut the onion. He was only nine. When his father came home, he had a horrified look on his face, quickly taking the knife away from his hands and he shouted at him angrily. 

**_"What do you think you are doing?! Are you trying to hurt yourself?!"_ **

His furious look was deadly and Ietsuna could not mutter even one word from his mouth. He trembled with fear and he lowered his head to avoid looking at his father's eyes. 

**_"You are not allowed to go near the kitchen, understand?!"_ **

Although it was the first and the last time Yoshinobu seriously scolded him, Ietsuna would not do anything to make him angry again. Because he could not forget how scary his father was. 

"I am sorry to hear that. Your father was worried about you, that is why he scolded you."

"I know, granny. It's just that..."

"I am sure that he did not mean to shout at you like that. You are such a good child, he would be feeling bad after what he did." 

"Really?"

"Yes. If not, why would he allow you to cook instead of me?"

Mrs Tanaka gently clapped his shoulder and she had a concerned look on her face. 

"Ietsuna, you need to help your father." 

"Me?"

"He may not want anyone's help but deep inside, he had been screaming for help."

"How did you know that, granny?"

"I've known him since he was in high school. Losing many people who were important to him had caused more damage in his mind. Even young master Katsuya could not help him. You are the closest to him and I believe you can set him free."

"I...I don't think I could do it-"

"Remember this, Ietsuna. Your mother brought you into this world because she wanted you to take care of your father. She wants you to save him as she did to him."

He did not say anything for first and Mrs Tanaka had to leave after Hatsuka called out for her. He was staring at the basket of vegetables and he began to think of his late mother. 

**_"I choose to bring you to this world because I do not wish to see your father staying alone."_ **

He understood his mother's sacrifice. He knew what to cook for his father. 

He placed the basket on the dining table and he took out a kabocha squash, spinach and some spring onions. He later brought out a donabe (earthenware pot), rinsing the rice in water and draining it repeatedly. While waiting for the rice to soak for half an hour, he started to slice and cut the vegetables that he had picked into smaller pieces. 

After soaking the rice, he drained the water and add the right amount of water. He soon boiled the rice and then cooked the spinach that would be served as a side dish. When the rice was boiling, he lowered the heat and added the pieces of kabocha squash and a little salt. 

He was done preparing an okayu (Japanese rice porridge). All he needed to do was to bring it to his father's room. 

* * *

"Father, are you awake?"

Yoshinobu's eyes were closed but he was not sleeping. Ietsuna placed a tray of earthenware pot and the side dishes on the table before he sat beside his father. 

"Are you still not feeling well?"

His father wanted to say he was fine but he frowned, indicating that he was feeling uncomfortable. Ietsuna was silent and he would look at his father, waiting for him to say anything. After hiding all his sufferings from his son for many years, Yoshinobu let out a tired sigh as he started to talk. 

"I always thought that having a perfect family was nothing but a blessing. My mother may be scary but she's a loving woman. She was a strong person and I wanted to be like her. My life turned upside down when I heard that she was killed in an accident. It was the rickshaw driver's carelessness but nothing was done to make him responsible for my mother's death. His son mocked me and we fought. And yet, my grandfather told me to ignore them. I was angry and yet, I followed his advice. Until one time, I could not take it anymore. I resort to using violence to teach that rickshaw driver and his son a lesson. I abandoned all the things that my mother, my father and my grandfather taught me. I even said something that hurt my grandfather's feelings."

"...you hurt great-grandpa's feelings?"

"...I told him that he was a weak leader. He was the reason why his family had fallen."

Ietsuna was not saying anything and he found it hard to believe that his father would do that to the Great Sky of Vongola. 

"I could remember his disappointed look but I ignored him. I left the house and I stayed at Katsuya's hometown for the whole summer holidays. I got involved in gangster fights with Katsuya and later earned a nickname Black Hawk. I thought using violence to teach bad people a lesson was a good way to go but I was never happy." 

"Never happy?"

"I met your mother when I was a first-year student in high school. She was often harassed by a group of boys and I helped her. So I accompanied her almost every day after school hours at the bus stop. If it wasn't because of her, I would continue to be a gangster member for the rest of my life. But, I was too late."

"Too late?"

"I realised what I did to my grandfather was wrong and I wanted to apologise to him. The moment I return home, he passed away in his sleep."

He slowly placed his hand on his chest and he frowned. 

"Although I was returning on the right path, I can never forgive myself. I slowly losing more of my family members and I felt like this was what I deserved for what I have done."

The blond boy began to understand his father's actions and behaviour. His nightmares and not allowing his son to learn martial arts. 

"...is that why you never want me to learn how to fight? Even for self-defence?"

"...yes. It's fine if you think of me ad a bad or overprotective parent. I...I just do not want to see you following my path." 

"I would never think of you as a bad parent. You tried your best."

"Really?"

"I do feel sad for not having to experience mother's love but I am happy to have you as my father. I can promise you that great-grandpa is proud of you."

"...what makes you think that...he's proud of an ungrateful grandson like me?" 

"He's proud of you for making a wise decision to return to the right path. Also, uncle Kazuhiro told me that he will always watch us. He's alive because of his blood running inside our veins." 

Ietsuna smiled warmly. He gently placed his hand on his father's shoulder before he continued to talk. 

"He forgives you because no matter what happens, you are his grandson."  
  
Yoshinobu was staring at his son and once he blinked his eyes, he could see his grandfather with a usual warmth smile on his face. He always longed to see his grandfather smiling at him. 

The image of his sorrow look began to disappear from his mind. His heart felt much lighter. 

Ietsuna then turned around to open the earthenware pot lid to pour the okayu in a bowl and added some spinach as a topping before he gave it to his father.

"We are already late for dinner but it's fine. Since you are not feeling well, I prepared the okayu for you."

"Okayu? Wouldn't it be a little tasteless?"

"This is a healing food and you are not allowed to be picky." 

Yoshinobu took the bowl from him and he was surprised to look at the kabocha squash pieces added in the thick porridge. 

"Ietsuna, who taught you how to cook okayu with kabocha squash?"

"Uh, no one. I thought of adding it so that it doesn't look boring. Why are you asking this?" 

"Your great-grandfather did add some kabocha squash pieces when he cooked the okayu." 

"He did? I didn't know that."

"Well, now you know. Have you taken your dinner?" 

Ietsuna wanted to answer and his stomach was already growling. He lowered his head, feeling a little embarrassed. 

"I haven't. I mean, I was busy preparing okayu for you, so..."

"It's fine. Let's eat together, shall we?"

"Alright."


	38. quit

"Excuse me! Didn't you read the sign? Reading is not allowed!"

The woman with short curly hair took a feather duster to dismiss some children who were seen reading some comics from the magazine. She shook her head while frowning at the children who quickly walked away from her shop. One elderly man came over to buy a newspaper and when he looked at the frown on her face, he laughed a little.

"What is the matter? The naughty children again, I assume?"

"What else?" the woman sighed loudly. "I told them many times not to read in my shop and they don't listen! I even told my son to write a simple sign, as BIG as possible!"

"Not all can afford to buy the magazine," the elderly man replied. "At least let them read for free."

"No way. If I let anyone read for free, no one's going to buy anything from my shop."

"I see. Here's the money for the newspaper."

The elderly man paid for the newspaper and he walked away. The woman was about to stock up more magazine's new edition when she saw another person coming to her shop to buy something.

"Good afternoon, Mrs Sakaguchi," Ietsuna greeted while looking if the shop owner was around.

"Oh, good afternoon!" the woman came with a friendly smile on her face. "What makes you come over here, Ietsuna?"

"I'm here to buy a newspaper. My father is not feeling well today, so I helped him to buy."

"No wonder I didn't see him this morning," she had a concerned look on her face. "Is he getting better now?"

"Yes, he is. He will be able to go to work on Monday."

"I'm glad to hear that-"

Mrs Sakaguchi had a stomachache in sudden as she leaned against the wall to support herself.

"A-are you alright?" Ietsuna asked with worry.

"I don't know. Maybe I've eaten something bad last night. Hold on..."

She looked up at the ceiling and she loudly called out for her son.

"Oi, Kuro!! Come down here and take care of the shop!!"

There was a silence before Ietsuna heard some footsteps coming from the stairs. Sakaguchi had a sleepy look on his face and he was yawning.

"What is it, mother? I'm still sleeping..."

"You've been sleeping for too long. Now you stay here and take care of the shop. I need to use the washroom. Oh, don't forget to stock up all the new magazines."

"Huh? Me??"

"You have any problem, young man?" she glared at her son and wagged her finger at him. "You are going to get it if I didn't see them on the table."

Without waiting for his reply, she quickly went to the washroom to do her business. Sakaguchi groaned a little and he was surprised to see Ietsuna.

"Hey, Sawada! What brings you here in sudden?"

"Buying a newspaper for my father. You spent all your time sleeping in the house?"

"I have nothing to do."

"What about school work?"

"Uh, I...I still have a little bit more to finish."

"Sakaguchi, we need to hand in those school work on Monday."

"Alright, alright. I'll finish it as soon as possible," he quickly explained. "I just want to sleep because I spent most of the night trying to answer all the tough questions."

"Really?"

"Yes, honest. But, since you are here, I might need some help..."

Ietsuna sighed.

"Alright, I'll help you with school work."

"Thank you! You are the best! Just let me put all the new magazines before my mother comes out and slaughter me."

"Do you want me to help?"

"Don't you want to go home and give the newspaper to your father?"

"He's sleeping. I told him to get more rest while I'm away to buy some groceries. I'll be home before dinner."

Both of them started to stack up some new magazines on the table. Sakaguchi's family owned a bookshop and almost everyone in the town would stop by to buy newspaper, magazines and comics. Ietsuna did not know about it until when he once followed Hatsuka and Hanako to buy a magazine to see some photos of dresses. Sakaguchi's father was rarely seen around morning and afternoon because he was often in the newspaper printing company to collect the newspaper.

While they were almost done, Ietsuna was looking at the cover magazine with a photo of a long, silky black-haired girl about his age wearing a pretty western dress. He picked it up and he randomly read some pages where most of its content was about the girl in the cover page.

"What are you reading, Sawada?"

"The new edition of the magazine. Who is this girl on the cover page?"

"Oh, that's Sonoda Mayuko!" Sakaguchi exclaimed. "You never heard of her?"

"No," Ietsuna shook his head. "Never heard of her."

"What??" he gave his disbelief look. "You really need to see more television shows or entertainment magazines, everyone in this town talks about her!"

"I only have a radio in my house. So, what about this girl?"

"You can read more about her in this magazine. Sonoda Mayuko made her first appearance in one of the television shows and her talent in acting was discovered. Many directors wanted to hire her and she instantly became famous in a movie where she's the lead actress," he winked. "Believe it or not, she's from our hometown."

"For real?"

"Yes, almost all the boys and girls adore her," Sakaguchi explained. "I bet these magazines will be sold out in just one day. If she's here one day, I'll definitely ask for her autograph."

"Before you can get her autograph, how about helping me buying some groceries?"

Sakaguchi flinched and he turned around to see his mother. Her one hand was holding a basket while the other hand was holding a purse.

"Mother, can I do that later? I need Sawada's help with my school work."

"It's only taking a while to buy some things. Now hurry up before I'm late to prepare the dinner."

"But-"

"It's fine," said Ietsuna. "We'll come back here again. I do want to buy something for dinner tonight."

"Great. Then you and your friend can go and buy together."

Sakaguchi sighed while taking the basket and the purse from his mother's hands. Both of them started to walk to the nearest grocery shop and they later meet some of their friends who also happened to buy something for their parents. Sakaguchi told Ietsuna that he sometimes disliked doing grocery shopping because his mother often scolded him for buying the wrong things that she needed. Ietsuna kindly took the list from his hand and he read it to see what he should buy.

It took about half an hour for him to get all the correct items and Sakaguchi had been speechless most of the time.

“S-Sawada, how on earth…did you do that?”

“Huh? I’m used to it-“

“You know what my mother wants. That makes me think about how you know that!”

“Well, not really,” Ietsuna showed the list to him. “Your mother already wrote down what she exactly wants. You just need to know how to explain to the seller so that they could understand the right amount you want.”

“That’s why I don’t like to go shopping.”

“You need to learn, Sakaguchi. The next time if your future wife is sick, you are the one who needs to help her do the grocery shopping.”

“Alright, I got it. Did you buy your groceries?”

“I just need to find another thing. Why don’t you wait for me till I come back?”

He agreed to wait and Ietsuna was off to get his last item. He was in a hurry as he did not want to keep his friend waiting but he ended up bumping onto Takeo who was carrying a basket of groceries.

“I’m so sorry, Takeo!” Ietsuna quickly bowed. “I didn’t see you and I-“

“Haha, it’s alright,” Takeo chuckled. “I didn’t expect to see you here, Sawada.”

“Me too. Are you here on your own?”

“No, I come with my mother,” Takeo replied. “I’m helping her to carry the groceries.”

“I see. So, are you still doing your sword fighting training? I’ve always wanted to see your sword training fighting for quite a long time.”

Takeo’s smile faltered when Ietsuna mentioned about his training. Ietsuna quickly noticed his expression and he was worried if he said something that hurt his feelings.

“Uh, Takeo. Are you alright? I…I’m sorry if I’ve offended you…”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing,” he shook his head. “You don’t have to apologise. It’s just that…”

“Just what?”

“Hey, Sawada…you know what? I…I think…I decided to quit my sword fighting training.”

“Huh? What are you talking about? Why you want to quit?”

Takeo was hesitant to answer and when his mother called out for him, he only gave a small smile to Ietsuna before he ran off to join his mother.

Ietsuna grew confused and he wanted to know the real reason why Takeo wanted to quit his swordsmanship. As far he had known Takeo, he would never want to give up learning sword fighting skills. He grew to love it ever since he heard about Asari Ugetsu’s life from his mother.

_**“I learn a sword style from my master and I’ve been trying to, well, create a new form.”** _

Could it be that he had failed to create his new form?

“Ah! I need to be quick!”

Ietsuna almost forgot that Sakaguchi was waiting for him. He managed to get what he wanted and he apologised to him for making him wait longer. While they were on the way back, Ietsuna explained to him that he had met Takeo and also about him quitting his sword fighting training. Sakaguchi was shocked to hear that and he was curious about Takeo’s sudden decision.

“Hello, Kei-chan. How are you doing?”

Mrs Sakaguchi was talking to Ikehara Kei and Ietsuna was surprised to see the girl at the bookshop. He told Sakaguchi that it was the girl who was rude to him and Aratani during the first meeting in the Cooking Club. The girl still had her unfriendly look but not as bad as showed to Ietsuna last time.

“I’m fine as usual. I’m here to buy a newspaper for my father.”

“Oh, I see. How’s your father?”

“Healthier as usual. Don’t worry about him. He’s always in good health. He wants to be a perfect example for all the elementary school students by coming to school every day.”

“Don’t think badly about your father, Kei-chan. He cares about you and his family members.”

“If he cares about me, he would not have rejected my dream career.”

“You still hate your father? Wait, it’s been long you’ve never heard from her, right? She’s now a superstar and she is featured in this cover magazine.”

Mrs Sakaguchi picked up the magazine and showed it to Ikehara. When she saw a picture of Sonoda Mayuko, she growled with anger and she threw the magazine on the ground much to the woman’s shock.

“Kei-chan! What are you doing?!”

“She’s the worst actress I’ve ever seen! Ikehara snapped. “Having her in the cover magazine is a huge joke!”

“How could you say that to your best friend??” the woman gasped “You and Mayu-chan had always been together since elementary school!”

“Yes, we were! Ever since she was hired by a director, she never once sent me a letter! She already forgot about me after she became famous! If that’s how she treated me, then I’ll say bad things about her as much as I want!”

Ikehara shoved the money to Mrs Sakaguchi and she stormed off. Ietsuna and Sakaguchi were confused and they came to see the woman to see if everything was alright.

“Oh, you boys are back?”

“Yes, and I’m sorry for being so rude hearing all your conversations with that girl,” Ietsuna replied.

“It’s fine,” she sighed. “I can’t believe she would say those awful words to Sonoda Mayuko.”

“Mother, is it true that she and Sonoda Mayuko are best friends?”

“It’s true. Kei-chan and Mayu-chan are best friends. They were like sisters together until Mayu-chan was hired by a director from a famous television show.”

“So that’s why Ikehara Kei badly wanted to join the school’s Drama Club,” Ietsuna commented.

“Huh? Why would you say that?” Mrs Sakaguchi asked.

“I don’t know. She’s probably jealous of Sonoda Mayuko.”


	39. suggestion

“Are you looking for Yamamoto Takeo?”

“Yes, I’m wondering if he’s around.”

Ietsuna had not seen Takeo while he was on his way to school and he was thinking that he might arrive at school earlier than any other students. As Kataoka Shiori was in the same class as Takeo, he decided to ask her if she had seen him.

“Unfortunately, he’s not here,” Kataoka answered. “I’m surprised that this is the first time he’s absent from school.”

“Really?”

“Is there something you want to tell him? If he’s not feeling well, maybe you can go to his house to see him. Or I could help you to send a message to him.”

“I appreciate your help but, I thought of wanting to know if he’s doing fine.”

“What happened to him?”

“Last Saturday, Sakaguchi and I were at the grocery shop and I happened to see him. He looked troubled and he told me that he wanted to quit his swordsmanship training.”

“Huh??” Kataoka exclaimed with shock. “Did he say that??”

“I was hoping that I heard it wrong but he seemed serious. As far I know, he would never give up something he loved to do.”

“I see. It’s no wonder he’s been feeling down for the past few days.”

“He was feeling down?”

“Yes. He was usually cheerful and friendly to everyone but he wasn’t himself lately. I did try to talk to him and see if I could help him and he only told me that he was doing fine. Since you tell me about his decision, I guess his problem would not look easy.”

“I agree. Anyway, I’ll just wait and see if he comes to school tomorrow. I don’t want to keep bothering him if he needs some time to be alone.”

“I agree. I’ll let you know if he comes to school.”

“Alright. Thank you so much, Kataoka.”

He soon returned to his classroom and he was still worried about Takeo’s condition. He kept reminding himself that his friend might fell sick and was unable to go to school.

The school hours had ended and it was time for all the students to attend their club meetings. Ietsuna and Aratani went to the cooking room and almost all the Cooking Club members greeted them. He glanced around and he saw Ikehara Kei sitting alone at the table near the window, reading a book.

He could remember her furious look when Mrs Sakaguchi showed the cover magazine with a picture of a teen actress, Sonoda Mayuko. He wondered if anyone knew that both of them had been friends since they were in elementary school according to Sakaguchi’s mother.

Sugihara Kohaku came inside the cooking room and greeted all the members before he started the meeting.

“Everyone, I have an announcement to make. The school principal already set a date for the upcoming _bunkasai_ (school cultural festival). It would be around September and the principal wants to give us time to do the preparation. Also, I heard that the principal would be inviting some important guests to see the students’ performances based on what they have learnt in school. For today, I would like to know from all of you what we should do for this year’s festival.”

The Cooking Club members were exchanging looks and they were wondering what they would do for the festival. Nakagawa Kaede raised her hand to ask the president some questions.

“Yes, Nakagawa?”

“President Sugihara, this would be the first time our school ever had guests to come for a visit. May I know who are those important guests?”

“Good question, Nakagawa. Unfortunately, I only have a little information from the principal. The important guests could be someone from the department of education, journalists from the newspaper company or others.”

“Would it be alright if we could make some traditional desserts?”

“I would accept that idea but the principal wants us to make something different. He doesn’t want us and other students to make the same thing from the last few years’ events.”

Some members sighed and some were muttering, at the point of showing their dislike towards the guests. Sugihara could only manage to give a small smile after seeing their reaction and he clapped his hands to get their attention.

“Alright, I understand your frustrations but we could take this chance to try something new. Who would like to suggest the festival?”

Without waiting for anyone to give their suggestion, Ikehara quickly raised her hand to get Sugihara’s attention. He noticed her hand and allowing her to speak.

“If the school principal wants every student to make something different, then it is clear that he wants to give a huge surprise to all his important guests. How about making some cakes and pastries?”

“I disagree!” Taki stood up in sudden and she was looking at Ikehara. “We know how much you love western cultures but there is no way we would abandon our local desserts! We want to show to our guests what we have learnt in school-!”

“I know but don’t forget that we already made traditional desserts last year,” Ikehara sneered. “The principal wants everyone to do something different, get that?”

“But that does not mean we would do something that doesn’t look like we are representing our country!”

Both of them were still arguing and Sugihara had to tell them to sit down and asking other students for more suggestions. Ietsuna and Aratani could feel that Ikehara would not cooperate well with other members.

“Looks like we are not going to know what we would do for the festival if that girl keeps on acting as if she is the most important people in the club,” Aratani commented.

“Honestly, I could agree with her idea but making only cakes and pastries is not going to attract the guests’ attention,” Ietsuna added.

“You are saying that something is needed to attract their attention?”

“The principal wants something different. He clearly wants the students to give a surprise to the guests.”

“Looks like you have some ideas in your mind,” said Nakagawa with an interesting look on her face. “What do you think we should do?”

“…I don’t know,” Ietsuna said with his awkward feeling. “If only we can do two things at the same time…”

Nakagawa’s eyes brightened a little after hearing his words. She quickly raised her hand and Sugihara called out for her to hear her opinion.

“Yes, Nakagawa. Do you have any better ideas?”

“Actually,” she pointed her finger at Ietsuna. “Sawada do have a brilliant idea for the upcoming festival?”

“S-senior Nakagawa!” Ietsuna exclaimed with shock.

“Oh, is that so?” Sugihara smiled. “Let me hear your suggestion, Sawada.”

Ietsuna was glancing around and all the members were looking at him, waiting for him to speak. Ikehara was glaring at him and he could see that she was almost breaking a pencil into half. He gulped and slowly stood up, looking at the Cooking Club president.

“It’s not really an idea…uh, what I’m trying to say that, if only we could do two things at the same time.”

“Do two things at the same time?”

“Yes. You see, senior Ikehara suggests that we can try to make some cakes and pastries but senior Taki insists that we should not completely abandon our local food and beverages. So, I’m thinking that…why don’t we combine two into one?”

“That sounds like an interesting concept,” Sugihara nodded. “Do you have any best example for it?”

“Maybe we can try to make a cake with a green tea flavour in it? It doesn’t have to be bitter. We just want the guest to eat the cake and while eating, they could taste not only the sweetness of the cake but also the green tea’s aroma.”

The members were amazed at Ietsuna’s explanation and Sugihara was satisfied with it.

“I don’t think that is a good idea,” Ikehara interrupted. “Combining two things at the same time? The result is going to be bad. Who in the world wants to eat a cake with some tea leaves in it? What a gross imagination.”

“Senior Ikehara, you don’t have the right to insult people’s opinion,” Nakagawa spoke out. “We are going to figure out something together-“

“Sorry but I’m against that kid’s idea!” Ikehara snapped. “I would rather stick with my idea!”

Sugihara cleared his throat loudly to keep them quiet.

“That’s it. To all the members of the Cooking Club, please raise your hand if you would like to go for Ikehara Kei’s idea to make only cakes and pastries.”

None of the members raised their hands to support Ikehara’s idea.

“Alright. Please raise your hand if you would like to go for Sawada Ietsuna’s idea to make a food combination.”

To Ikehara’s shock, all the members supported Ietsuna’s idea and Sugihara smiled with his satisfied look.

“Well, we have decided what we will make for the upcoming festival. We still have time to create something new and we will make sure that we will give a perfect surprise to the guests. For our next meeting, we will start to learn how to bake cakes and other foods.”

The meeting was ended and the members were smiling at Ietsuna. Taki came to him with a wide smile on her face.

“Hey, Sawada. I do love your idea of combining two things into one.”

“Uh, thanks. But what makes you love my idea?”

“I do love to eat western desserts too aside from local desserts. Your idea about a cake with green tea flavour makes me want to try to eat it.”

“I see. It’s just one of my random ideas, I never knew everyone agrees with it.”

“We think it’s the best. See you again at the next meeting!”

Taki waved her hand and she left to join her friends. Aratani clapped his shoulder while smiling with approval.

“Not bad, Sawada. You are popular once again. Just like when we were in junior high school.”

“I don’t even know how to bake a cake. Or more like, I did not have the chance to try any of those fancy looking cakes with all the creams on it.”

“Huh? Didn’t you have it on your birthday?”

“No, my father only got me a castella cake and it had been my birthday cake almost every year.”

Aratani’s expression looked like the Christmas event had been cancelled and she almost wanted to laugh.

“What’s so funny about it?” Ietsuna raised his eyebrow.

“Sawada, does your father know how to buy a birthday cake?”

“Well, he told me all the cakes are just the same thing,” he scratched his cheek. “Although I was curious that Hatsuka and Hanako have better looking birthday cakes than mine.”

“Either your father just wants to save some money or…he doesn’t know how to buy,” Aratani snickered. “Once you know how to bake a cake, make one for your father on his birthday and tell him this is how a birthday cake looks like.”

“Wouldn’t be easier if I…I buy it from the shop?”

“Yes, you can do that but making it on your own shows your sincerity. Your father had been raising you alone and making something special for him is another way to say thanks for everything he did for you.”

“Did you do the same thing to your father, Aratani?”

“I can’t cook, so I saved some money to buy one. And he cried happily at the end.”

Ietsuna was thinking and he seemed to realise that his father never celebrated his own birthday. All he remembered that his father only bought a castella cake for his birthday every year.

Was it because of his father’s dark past, he had stopped remembering his birthday?

“Thank you for your suggestion, Aratani. Once I know how to bake a cake, I’ll make one for his birthday.”

“Oh, really? Do you know when is his birthday?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t know. If I ask him, he would not want to tell me. Or maybe…”

“Maybe what?”

“Maybe I can ask uncle Kazuhiro. He had been my grandpa’s closest friend.” 


	40. attack

Katsuya was running in the hospital hallway, ignoring all the nurses’ warning. His right-hand man, Suguru quickly walked towards him and he was hoping that Katsuya was not doing any stupid things. It all happened when the head of the Hibari clan received a call from someone and was being told that the Niwatori clan was attacked. Hearing that the head of the Niwatori clan was in serious condition, Katsuya did not hesitate and he had been rushing to the hospital.

“W-wait, Katsuya!” Suguru grabbed his arm to stop him from barging inside the operation room. “You can’t go in there!”

“I need to see him right now!” Katsuya snapped.

“Not until the doctors are done with their work!” Suguru said quickly. “You need to stay calm!”

Katsuya was still glaring at Suguru and he was taking his time to calm down before he slowly sat on the bench, waiting for the doctor’s result. His right-hand man had a concerned look and he sat beside him, letting out a small sigh.

The Niwatori clan had been the closest ally with the Hibari clan ever since the Meiji period. The current head of Niwatori clan was Katsuya’s father’s good friend and he was like a second father to him. Katsuya did receive news from the lower rank members that some strong and famous clans had been attacked recently but he would never expect that the Niwatori clan would be the next target.

“Are you alright, Katsuya?”

“Do you think I’m alright?”

“Well, I take that as no.”

“Do you have any information about the attacker?”

“Our shateigashira is still at the Niwatori clan’s house to get more information,” Suguru answered. “All I know that it’s the same attacker who attacked other clans and yakuza organisations.”

“…I see.”

“Katsuya, do you want to let Sawada know about this-“

“No.”

“But-“

“I do not want to drag Shin into an underground business,” Katsuya said sternly. “He is no longer a gangster member.”

“Do you know that his daughter is a student to Sawada?”

“I know and I still don’t want to let him know.”

Suguru wanted to disagree with him when a woman with short dark coloured hair came to them. She was about Katsuya’s age and her head was bandaged. Her expression showed that she had gone through a terrible ordeal. Before any of them started to speak, the nurses and a surgeon came out from the operation room and they were asking who was the family member of the Niwatori’s head family.

The woman addressed herself as Kozue, the oldest daughter and the surgeon regretfully told her that they were not able to save her father. Katsuya lowered his head and he was clenching his fists. Suguru noticed it and he had to bring him out from the hospital to give some space for Kozue to see her father for one last time.

An hour had passed and Kozue came out to meet Katsuya and Suguru. She sat with them and she let out an exhausted sigh. Katsuya was glancing at her before he decided to talk to her.

“Are you alright, Kozue?”

“…I’m fine,” she answered. “I…I just can’t believe it…”

“Look, I’m sorry about your father. I…I wished that I…I could save him, you and your clan members-“

“It’s not your fault, Katsuya. No one expecting this to happen.”

“…what is your next plan after your father’s death?”

“What else? Preparing a funeral ceremony. In the meantime, I’ll take over my father’s place until my half-brother is old enough to be the new clan leader.”

“Are you sure that everyone agrees with your decision?”

“The members are my family. They support my decision and they agree to wait for the right time to see their new boss.”

They were silent for a moment before Kozue continued to talk.

“You need to be extra careful, Katsuya. The attackers might target your family soon.”

“I know. I’ll never let them go for what they have done to your clan and your father.”

“…thank you for your help.”

“Hey, Kozue. Do you still remember Black Hawk?”

She let out a small laugh.

“How can I forget someone who taught me how to fight when I’m in middle school?”

“I’m asking because you seemed to have not been talking about him for a long time.”

“He has his own life, so why I should think about him?”

She stood up from the seat and she was looking at the grey clouds.

“I had been watching him from far and I was impressed with his fighting skills. I wanted to join the Judo Club so that I could try asking him to teach me how to fight. At first, he refused because he said that he was still in the middle of learning. I had to keep on bugging him to teach me until he finally accepted me to be his student. I became stronger all thanks to him. But after his mother died, he stopped teaching me. He became a different person and he would not even listen to my advice.”

“You are not the only one,” Katsuya added. “He didn’t even listen to his father and his grandfather.”

“I heard that too. I was pretty amazed that there was someone who was able to change his mind. Her name is Reiko, right?”

“Yes, that’s her name. Unfortunately, she passed away after giving birth to her son.”

“She…passed away?”

“Long short story, it’s because of her unknown illness. So, Shin had been raising his son all by himself.”

Kozue was staring at Katsuya and his face was too serious that it could not have been a lie.

“I missed lots of things, am I?”

“I thought you know.”

“The last time I saw him was during our high school graduation. He apologised for ignoring me. He told me that his feeling of hatred had made him blind and making lots of wrong decisions. Nevertheless, he was proud of my achievement after hearing that I won in the judo tournament. I only heard that he was married to Reiko. I did not know that…she died.”

“You are planning to see him?”

“With this current situation? I think not. I have lots of things to do. While the attacker is still around, I don’t want them to end up hurting him and his son.”

“You’re right.”

As Katsuya and Kozue continued to talk, Suguru saw another man coming towards him. He stood up and it was the shateigashira who was assigned to dig up some information at the Niwatori clan’s place. The other did try his best and he gave a large coat button to Suguru, telling him that this was the only thing he found.

Suguru was looking at the button closely and he saw a crest with a symbol of a snakelike dragon with long horns.

It was familiar to him and when he remembered, his face grew pale.

It was the same organisation who killed Katsuya’s wife, Amaya years ago.

* * *

Takeo was still lying on his futon despite it was already late morning. He was staring at the ceiling and he had been thinking about what he should do after waking up from his sleep.

Getting ready to school? He was already late to school; he would probably skip school for another day. But if he continued to do so, his grandfather would scold him for abandoning his studies.

Only for today. He would go back to school tomorrow. He promised himself.

“Eh, he's still in his room? I thought he's already at school.”

“He’s probably sulking again. Just don’t mind him. We need to go quickly to our training.”

He heard his older cousins talking from outside his room before the sound of their footsteps faded, indicating that they had left the house.

He thought of continuing his swordsmanship training when he started to remember a painful remark from his master.

It happened last few weeks when he and the other students were having a succession test. While all of them succeeded in creating their new forms, Takeo was not able to create his own new form. He had been trying for many times after mastering the first five forms from his master.

**_“What is wrong with you, Takeo?”_ **

He was kneeling in front of his master but he would not dare to look at his face. Other students were whispering behind his master and he could feel that some were silently mocking at him.

**_“Everyone, dismiss!”_ **

His master ordered the students to leave with his stern tone and they quickly left. Only both Takeo and his master.

_**“I was hoping that you will succeed because you have been the most diligent student in my opinion. You trained so hard to be the strongest swordsman and I have my high hopes on you to be my worthy successor. But, today, you’ve failed to show me your new form.”** _

**_“…I…I’m sorry, master. I…I tried…”_ **

**_“Are you perhaps slacking off recently?”_ **

**_“N-no, I wouldn’t dare! I’ve been training really hard and I-“_ **

**_“Have you forgotten your true purpose of mastering Shigure Soen Ryu?”_ **

Takeo pursed his lips tightly, still not looking at his master’s face. He had not forgotten his true purpose of mastering Shigure Soen Ryu, the invincible sword style that his father used to learn.

**_“I am disappointed with you. Take all your things and leave.”_ **

**_“M-master! Please give me another chance-!”_ **

**_“You have all your chances. Now, leave.”_ **

His master left him all alone and Takeo was still kneeling at the same spot, refusing to leave. Even when the rain poured down heavily, he would not move an inch. The bamboo sword that was lying on the ground was already wet due to rain and he did not bother to pick it up.

He had failed to fulfil his father’s wish. Maybe it was not his fate. He was not meant to be a professional swordsman like his father was.

“Takeo-kun, are you still sleeping?”

Takeo blinked his eyes and he saw his mother standing near the door’s frame. He was staring at his mother for quite some time and he seemed to realise something about her.

Among all of his maternal grandfather’s children, Asari Rin was the only one who had inherited Asari Ugetsu’s unique eye colour.

She went inside and she sat beside her son while gently touching his forehead.

“What’s the matter, Takeo-kun? Are you feeling unwell?”

“…no, I’m fine. It’s just…”

“Are you still feeling sad after your master rejected you?”

“…I guess I am. But, come to think of it, maybe he should choose another successor,” Takeo gave a sad smile. “I may not have a talent. Maybe I should start to learn literature from granduncle.”

Rin was not speaking as she listened to his words. She was giving him a chance to let out all his frustrations from his heart. He had been keeping all by himself ever since his master rejected him.

“Takeo-kun, your master will never reject you.”

“Mother, you don’t have to say that to soothe my feelings.”

“I will not lie just to soothe your feelings. I know him better than anyone else.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do not forget that he and your father learn the sword style from the same master. He accepted you as his student not because you are his rival’s son. It is your true purpose that made him decide to teach you.”

Takeo did not say anything as he did not expect his mother to say something wise.

“Do you remember the reason why you want to master Shigure Soen Ryu?”

“I…I want to fulfil my father’s wish. A wish to become the strongest swordsman.”

Rin smiled at her son as she guessed that he would begin to do what he wanted to do.

“If you want to continue with your training, please get some breakfast. Also, don’t skip schools again. Your granduncle is worried about you.”

“Alright. I’ll come later.”

Once his mother left his room, Takeo slowly sat up and he stretched his body. He stood up to get some fresh clothes to wear before he went to wash his face and joining his mother for a late breakfast. He turned around and he saw the bamboo sword placed on top of his drawer. It was clean and neatly placed as if it was for displaying purpose. 

He had a small smile on his face. His mother would have been the one who helped him to clean it after being drenched under the heavy rain a few weeks ago. 

He would not try to disappoint his father. He knew what he should do next. 


	41. amarillide

Katsuya was having an important meeting with his father and he eventually let his right-hand man take a break until he needed him. Suguru appreciated his boss’s gesture but instead of taking a break, he was on his way to the town’s prison to meet someone. He showed his identity document and the Hibari clan’s crest to the officers before he was allowed to enter the prison area.

The top-ranked officers were expecting that he would want to meet the usual prisoners who used to be gangsters but they were surprised when Suguru mentioned that he would like to meet someone named Sergio.

“Sir, are you sure you want to meet this foreigner?”

“Yes, is there any problem?”

“No, it’s just that I am thinking if you want a translator to help you to communicate with this foreigner-“

“There’s no need for that. I would like to talk to him privately. Besides, he’s been staying in Japan for many years and he should be able to speak and understand a little Japanese.”

The officer would not question him further and some proceeded to bring an Italian prisoner to the interrogation room. As Suguru had requested, the officers were setting a time for him before leaving both him and the prisoner in the room.

Sergio, a tall and burly Italian mafioso was arrested along with his other members for drug trafficking many years ago. He was also the one who had kidnapped Sawada Yoshimune before Katsuya and his followers barge into their hideout and saved him. After many years of staying in prison, Suguru was quite surprised that Sergio had been losing a little weight since the last time he saw him.

“Good evening, Mr Sergio. Do you still remember me?”

“Hmph! Of course I do,” the Italian man grunted with displeasure. “The one who threw me and my fellow members in the jail years ago for drug trafficking-“

“And kidnapping an elderly Japanese man,” Suguru added.

“I’ve told you and your boss before,” Sergio growled. “If it wasn’t because of that woman, I wouldn’t have ended up here right now.”

“Woman? Who are you talking about?” Suguru raised his eyebrow curiously.

“You never know her. She’s the boss of a very powerful mafia famiglia she’s the reason why my famiglia has fallen in Italy during the second world war.”

The Italian man clenched his fists tightly.

“We came to Japan to hide from any mafia famiglia who had ties with that woman. We have nothing and no one is willing to help foreigners like us. While we were on the verge of starvation, a young man came to us and tell us that his boss would like to hire all of us in exchange for food and shelter.”

“Have you ever seen his boss’s face?”

“No. The young man was always around and only sending messages from his boss.”

“And why his boss would want to hire you and his members in sudden?”

“…I don’t know,” Sergio was trying to avoid Suguru’s eyes while answering. “I have no idea.”

“Is it because of this?”

Suguru took out a small packet of some pastel-coloured sweets and he showed it to Sergio.

“What does that trash have to do with me?”

“This is not an ordinary sweet. Try to smell it.”

Sergio’s expression looked like he was expecting an April Fool’s joke. As his hands were still being cuffed, he went a little closer to smell the sweets from the small packet. Moments later, his eyes widened with shock and he slowly looked at Suguru.

“W…where did you get this drug?”

“One of my boss’s trusted followers obtained it while spying in the senior high school years ago. Some students were seen distributing these sweets to their friends and the principal found out that it was an illegal drug. Do you know what is this?”

“Of course I know!” Sergio snapped. “It was my famiglia’s proudest creation! And yet, he stole it!”

“He stole it?”

“That young man’s boss! He heard about this drug and he was interested to know more about it. Since his boss gave me and my followers food, shelter and work, I told the young man everything about this drug named Amarillide. His boss was fascinated to hear it and he wanted me to recreate this drug and he promised that one day, he will revive my famiglia.”

“I assumed that he stole your drug’s recipe and later throw you and your followers out from his place.”

“Exactly! We were thrown out and I was angered! I sought to look for that young man and I demand him to let me see his boss or I would kill him! I don’t know why he was so calm and he told me to go to Yamanashi Prefecture to look for his boss. I told him that I had never seen his face and he gave me the description. A man with long brown hair tied in a small ponytail. We did go to that place where the earthquake happened and we did catch that man who kept on telling me that he was not the one they are looking for.”

Suguru was frowning. He could imagine Katsuya’s rage face if he heard about someone tried to frame Yoshinobu’s father. He seemed to know why Yoshimune had been Sergio’s captive for two years after the earthquake.

“You are a complete stupid man I’ve ever heard, Sergio.”

“Say what?”

“No one would ever reveal their boss’s identity that easy. He simply made you catch the wrong person and see what happened to you? You are in the prison all thanks to his trap. I forget to mention that my boss wanted to kill you for kidnapping and assaulting his best friend’s father.”

“H-how am I supposed to know that?! All I want is an act of revenge! That traitor ruined my life!”

“I just need to speak truthfully to me, Sergio. If you can do that, I will find a way to tell the officers to not deport you and your followers back to Italy.”

“…you are not going to lie to me for this? You know that we cannot go back to Italy as we feared that woman might kill us all.”

“I don’t know about your business with that woman but this is the only thing I can help you. Tell me the truth and you won’t be deported.”

“…fine. I’ll trust you this time.”

“Do you know anything about this young man’s boss?”

“I told you that we never saw his face. He never appeared at all. Only his right-hand man acting as his messenger. We were placed in the factory and we started to work producing all his product. And one day, his right-hand man personally came to me and he asked me about the Amarillide drug. He said that his boss wanted to know more about it. I was curious because I want to know how did his boss know about my famiglia’s creation. I never think twice and I told him everything as a favour for helping me and my followers.”

“Then, do you know the name of his organisation?”

“I really don’t know- Wait, the crest…”

“The crest?”

“I remember. His right-hand man has a tattoo on his left arm. A crest that looks like a snake, or a dragon with long horns.”

Suguru was determined to know more from Sergio when the officer knocked on the door to tell him that his time was over. He let out a frustrated sigh and he turned to look at Sergio.

“Thank you for your information, Sergio. I might come back again to ask more from you.”

“What about your promise? You better not break it.”

“My boss will not break the promise, unlike that man who betrayed you and your followers. Just give me more time.”

Sergio nodded and soon, the officers took him away while another officer was leading Suguru out from the prison area.

Once everything was solved, Imamura Amaya could rest in peace.

* * *

It was almost three days Takeo was absent to school. Ietsuna was on his way to Takeo's house after the school hours were over. He was supposed to go home with Hatsuka but because of his worry towards Takeo, he decided to visit him and see what he could do to help him. Kataoka Shiori was quite worried as well and she was planning to visit him until she remembered that she had to help her mother buying some groceries.

Kazuhiro soon greeted Ietsuna and he asked what he could do to help. After Ietsuna asking if he could see Takeo, Kazuhiro mentioned that he already went somewhere in the mountain area to resume his swordsmanship training. Ietsuna was surprised to hear that before he thanked him and left to find Takeo.

He arrived and as soon he saw Takeo standing near the waterfall, he was standing behind the large tree to watch him from far.

Takeo was seen wearing his Kendo uniform and his hands were holding the bamboo sword. He stepped into the river and had his bamboo sword in a ready stance before closing his eyes to concentrate.

Moments later, he opened his eyes and he started to run towards the waterfall.

“Shajiku no Ame (Axle of Rain)!”

The bamboo sword soon transformed into a metal sword and Takeo thrust it to impale the waterfall. Ietsuna blinked his eyes several times to confirm that he was not seeing it wrongly. He never knew that the bamboo sword would transform into another weapon and he started to feel impressed as he watched Takeo’s training.

“Sakamaku Ame (Rolling Rain)!”

Takeo resumed to use his metal sword to create multiple waves of water around him and crouched while holding his sword vertically before himself.

Ietsuna had to think that it was not easy to create those waves with the sword and Takeo had mastered it so well. He still wondering why he would want to give up learning the sword style.

Takeo sensed someone’s presence and he was not going to let them know that he knew it. He slowly turned around and he dropped his sword in the river.

“Yarazu no Ame (Last Minute Rain)!”

Before Ietsuna could react, Takeo kicked the base of the hilt with his foot to send the sword flying towards the target. Ietsuna’s eyes widened and all thanks to his intuition, he quickly dodged the flying sword and he fell on the ground.

“Eh, Sawada?!”

Takeo was in shock to see Ietsuna as he quickly ran to him.

“Oh, God! I’m so sorry! I thought you are someone who is trying to ambush me!” Takeo apologised with a regret look on his face.

“N-no, it’s fine…” Ietsuna smiled nervously. “It’s my fault for watching you in silence. I just don’t want to disturb you…”

“But I could have hurt you,” Takeo sighed. “Though I’m impressed that you can dodge my attack. I mean, no one could ever dodge my flying sword.”

“Look, I’m fine!” the blond boy grinned. “See, there’s no single scratch on me. And your sword is at there- eh? Bamboo sword??”

The metal sword was transformed back into a bamboo sword and it was lying on the ground. Takeo chuckled as he went to pick it up.

“Looks like you’ve seen a magic trick, Sawada.”

“I…I don’t understand. Why does it transform into a different shape?”

“This is Shigure Kintoki, a sword that has been passed down through my father’s family for generations. If the user uses the Shigure Soen Ryu sword style, it will turn into a metal sword.”

Takeo gave a short wave and he showed his metal sword to Ietsuna. It was indeed sharp and there was a swallow engraved near the scabbard mouth.

“It is a beautiful sword, Takeo,” Ietsuna stared with amazement. “I always wanted to see the swords that samurais always use.”

“Wow, really? My father would be happy to hear that,” Takeo grinned. “Anyway, what brings you here? Do you want to ask me something?”

“Oh, well…I’m wondering if you are doing fine. You’ve been absent from school for three days. Kataoka and I were worried, that’s why I’m here to see you.”

Takeo’s smiled faded slowly and he started to realise that his friends were worried about him. He sat beside Ietsuna and placed his bamboo sword beside him before he let out a small sigh.

“I’m sorry, Sawada. It’s just that…something has been taxing my mind for many weeks.”


	42. amemoyoi

“You failed in the succession test?”

“Yes. Sounds embarrassing, right?”

Takeo started to tell Ietsuna about his succession test and the day when his master rejected him for failing to create his new sword style form. It was a hard time for him and he had been thinking if he should give up mastering the sword style and start studying literature from his granduncle. Ietsuna had been listening and he began to understand Takeo’s frustration for the past few weeks.

“You’re already doing a great job mastering the Shigure Soen Ryu. You can’t just give up something that you love to do the most.”

“I…I know. But’s it’s been years I’ve tried to create my new form. This sword style is a deadly sword style that is only passed down to worthy successors. The master will show their students once for each form and the students will need to remember how to use it from then on. It is a tradition for a generation to add a new form to the Shigure Soen Ryu.”

Takeo sighed and buried his face on his knees.

“My master’s other students could pass the test. Each of them had their own new form. They were so incredible unlike me. If my master knew that I do not have such talent as a swordsman, he wouldn’t have accepted me from the beginning.”

“Takeo, why would you want to learn Shigure Soen Ryu from the beginning?”

“…to fulfil my father’s wish.”

“Your father’s wish?” Ietsuna glanced at him with concern. “I’m sorry to hear-“

“Oh, no. My father is still alive,” Takeo quickly lifted his head. “It’s just that he’s away for work and he only came back home a few times in a year.”

“I-I see. But you sounded as if your father…”

“My father was a great swordsman and he could master the Shigure Soen Ryu in a short time,” Takeo smiled. “Like any other successors, my father created his own form. It’s an offensive form named Samidare (Early Summer Rain) and it was difficult to master according to his master. Even I have been trying to make it perfect.”

“That’s awesome. If only I could see your father mastering all the forms.”

“Well, too bad. You can’t get to see him holding the sword.”

“Why?”

“My master and my father were rivals during their time learning Shigure Soen Ryu. My master often challenged my father to see who would be the strongest swordsman. It was one day when my master was attacked by a gangster group in his high school. He was injured and my father managed to save his life by beating up all the gangster members. However, the fight caused my father to suffer a broken right wrist. The doctor told him that it was bad that he was not able to use his sword ever again. My master called him an idiot for throwing away something valuable just to save his enemy but my father only shrugged his shoulders. He told my master that saving someone’s life is more important than his love for the sword.”

Ietsuna was speechless. He never knew that Takeo’s father would sacrifice something important just to save his rival’s life. He instantly remembered that his great-grandfather, Ieyasu would do the same as his father did.

“Wow, your father is an amazing man. Would he regret it after learning that he was not able to hold the sword for the rest of his life?”

“Nah, my father is fine with it. My master could not accept it since he felt like it was his fault but my father never blamed him. He chose to do the right thing although he had to abandon his wish to be the greatest swordsman. I told my father that I want to be like him and he was happy to hear it. And after that, my master accepted me as his student.”

“I guess he accepted you to repay your father’s help.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing,” Ietsuna replied. “I don’t know about you but if I were you, I would keep on trying until I succeed no matter how many times I failed.”

“That's because you are talented. Your cooking skills are admirable.”

“I’m not talented, Takeo. I am just like you. I kept on trying until I can cook a healthier meal for my father. Did I ever mention that I nearly destroyed the kitchen while boiling an empty kettle and empty pot and putting a large piece of ice in the hot cooking oil?”

“…you did??”

“Yes. I keep on apologizing to my father for the mess I made and he forgave me. We ended up eating outside after cleaning up the kitchen for hours.”

“That must be a tough cleaning.”

“Yes but this gave my father a chance to spent more time with me instead of doing his work he brought back from his workplace.”

Ietsuna was looking at the sky and grey clouds began to surround the sun.

“I say that you should keep on trying not only because to achieve your dream to be the greatest swordsman but to show to your father that you finally fulfil the wish that he was not able to grant by himself.”

Takeo was looking at Ietsuna and he was stunned by his words. He never thought of that. He started to find the real reason why he should not give up mastering Shigure Soen Ryu.

Before he could say anything, they heard someone screaming in the mountain area. Ietsuna sensed something was wrong and he quickly stood up while looking around the place where he and Takeo stood.

“Did you hear that scream?” Takeo asked.

“Yes, and I think…” Ietsuna slowly pointing his finger above the waterfall. “…it came from up there.”

“Eh? How did you know?”

The blond boy flinched as soon he realized that Takeo did not know anything about Vongola’s Hyper Intuition and he shook his head.

“I…I don’t know! I just had the feeling that it’s coming from up there!” Ietsuna was flustered. “I’m sorry for acting strangely-“

“Haha, no worries!” Takeo clapped his back. “Whoever was screaming for help must be near and I too guessed the same as yours.”

“Really?”

“Yes, so let’s go and look for them.”

Both of them did not waste more time as they quickly walked and climbed the path to the place where they heard the scream. As soon as they reached, they hid behind the tree and they saw some men assaulting some older boys in their martial arts uniform.

Takeo’s eyes widened with horror. Those boys were his older cousins.

“What happened, Takeo?”

“Those men…they are assaulting my older cousins…”

“Your older cousins??”

Takeo nodded. He was gripping his bamboo sword tightly and he wanted to run and help them. One of his cousins stood up and he was wincing in pain. He held his sword and he was in his ready stance, trying his best to protect his other siblings. The men only laughed at him before one of them spoke.

“I admire your tenacity, kid,” the man sneered. “But no matter what are you doing, you are no match against us. I never know that we could easily beat the famous Asari Clan.”

“No…no one…” the older boy gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. “…no one can hurt…and insult my family!”

The older boy resumed to try impaling the man in front of him but the man dodged and hit his back with his steel pipe. The older boy fell on the ground and he was yelling with pain. His other siblings were screaming and begging the men to not hurt him.

Takeo’s eyes narrowed and he would never forgive those who hurt his family members. Even if his cousins belittle him for not being able to master his father’s beloved Shigure Soen Ryu.

“W-wait, Takeo!”

He ignored Ietsuna and he went out from the hiding, standing in front of his older cousin and used his bamboo sword to block the pipe from hitting his cousin. The man was surprised with his sudden appearance and his evil grin grew wider.

“Oho, what are you doing here, kid? Want to take over this loser’s place?”

Takeo did not say anything and he continued to resist with his bamboo sword. He needed to act fast as he could not hold on much longer.

“T…Takeo…don’t fight…” his older cousin muttered weakly. “They are…too strong…”

“No, I will never forgive them for hurting my family,” said Takeo firmly.

“Let’s see if you can beat us all!”

The man bellowed and all of his men came to attack Takeo at the same time. Ietsuna’s face went pale and he too wanted to help when he noticed Takeo’s calm look.

He was not afraid. He was expecting them to come to him at the same time. What was he going to do?

“Shigure Soen Ryu, sixth form.”

Takeo muttered and once all the men’s steel pipes were touching his bamboo sword, he deflected all of them at the same time with a powerful force. All the men fell on the ground and they were groaning with pain. Takeo was staring at them with his murderous look and his hand was carrying his metal sword; Shigure Kintoki.

“W…what in the world is that?” the man shouted angrily.

“You’ve witnessed my new form,” Takeo simply replied. “Shigure Soen Ryu, Amemoyoi (Threat of Rain).”

“New form??”

“Yes. All thanks to you, I’ve finally created my own form. A defensive form where I would use it to show the enemies what will happen if you ever lay a hand on my family and friends.”

Ietsuna was watching him fight and he smiled with relief. He was glad that Takeo finally found his true resolve and he was amazed that he already created his new form.

The men were not satisfied and they stood up to try attacking Takeo with their steel pipes. Takeo would not back away and he fought against them. All the men were defeated and only one was still standing. He was growling with anger and he charged forward to give him a deadly blow.

Takeo was well prepared and he was aiming to use his father’s form.

“Shigure Soen Ryu, fifth form.”

Once the man was almost near, Takeo used his sword in one hand and slashed at the man. However, instead of attacking, he released his sword from his right hand and grabbed it with his left hand to create a genuine slash.

“Samidare (Early Summer Rain)!”

The man’s eyes widened, never knowing that he had been fooled before he collapsed on the ground. Takeo was panting and he was glad that he managed to defeat all the men. His older cousins were watching with their unbelievable look. Ietsuna came out from his hiding as well and he went to check on Takeo.

“Are you alright, Takeo?”

“Y-yes, I’m fine…”

“You did it! You finally created your own form!”

“Is…is it bad?”

“It’s not bad at all! You pushed everyone away with just one blow!”

Takeo wanted to reply when his eyes saw another person coming out from the large tree. Another man who was about his father’s age slowly approached him with his usually stern face. Ietsuna turned around and he stepped aside for the man to meet Takeo.

“Good evening, master,” Takeo greeted with respect. “What brings you here?”

“Honestly, I am here to meditate under the waterfall but I heard some noises around here. So I come here to check it out.”

“I see.”

“You’ve passed the succession test, Takeo.”

“M-me?” Takeo blinked his eyes many times. “I…I passed the test? But why?”

“I’ve been watching you fighting against those men. I am impressed with your new form called Amemoyoi (Threat of Rain). Your form may look like a simple form but it took lots of your energy and strength to deflect your opponent with a powerful force. Plus, you used it to protect your family members.”

Takeo’s master bent to pick up the bamboo sword and he gave it a short wave to turn it into a metal sword. He held it up in front of his student before he continued to speak.

“This Shigure Kintoki has been waiting for its new owner after learning that its previous owner was no longer being able to fight alongside with it. And now, the wait is over. Take this and you are now a worthy successor of the Shigure Soen Ryu.”

Takeo was staring at his sword and he was on a verge of crying. He tried not to let his tears coming out from his eyes as he held both of his hands to accept the sword from his master.

“T…thank you so much, master!”

He bowed after accepting the sword and his master nodded his head. He turned around to walk off as he said some few words.

“Remember to come back again for training. I will be waiting for you.”

Takeo could not stop smiling and he let his tears to come out from his eyes. His injured older cousins came over and congratulated him for passing his succession test. He turned to look at Ietsuna and he smiled wider.

“Thank you so much, Sawada. You’ve been a great help.”

“Eh? I…I didn’t do anything! I just-“

“No, really. If it’s not because of your advice, I wouldn’t be able to pass my succession test.”

“Well, I’m happy to hear that. Maybe I should cook something to celebrate your victory-“

Ietsuna’s eyes blinked with shock and he was shrieking in sudden.”

“W-what happened, Sawada??”

“I’m late to prepare dinner for my father!!”

_**Author's note: In KHR canon story, the sixth form of Shigure Soen Ryu is still unknown and deduced to be a defensive form.** _


	43. future

**_“Kei, look at this magazine photo!”_ **

**_“What is it?”_ **

**_“See this girl in the photo? I love the dress she’s wearing!”_ **

**_“Ah, you’re right. She’s lucky. Since she’s a superstar, she can get to wear many beautiful dresses. Just like the princesses in the fairy tale stories.”_ **

**_“Exactly! And you know what? I would like to be a child superstar just like this girl!”_ **

**_“It’s impossible, Mayuko. If you have great talent, you will be hired easily.”_ **

**_“Hey, who says I can’t act? Don’t you remember that I’ve won the best actress award in the school sketch last year?”_ **

**_Of course, I remember but winning in the school is not enough to convince anyone to hire you as a child superstar.”_ **

**_“Hmph! Is that so? You’ll see. One day, I will show my true talent in acting and I will have my face featured in the magazine cover two times better than this girl.”_ **

**_“But, if you become a superstar, what about me?”_ **

**_“Huh? You silly girl! I’m not going to forget about you. Why don’t we become superstars together?”_ **

**_“Me?? I can’t act well! I have stage fright, remember??”_ **

**_“Ah, but you did well although you were only a minor character. Your family cheered for you last year.”_ **

**_“Even so, my father disliked the idea of me becoming a superstar.”_ **

**_“The future is yours, Kei. Prove it to your father that you will be a successful superstar. That way, I am sure that he will change his mind.”_ **

It was only a dream but to Ikehara Kei, it felt like it happened just a few weeks ago. She startled as the alarm clock rang and she slowly woke up to prepare herself to go to school. The neighbourhood started to talk about the famous rising child star, Sonoda Mayuko and she pretended not to hear it. Even when some asked her about her feelings after hearing Mayuko’s success, she scowled and told them she did not know who was she.

She went to the dining room and sat down, waiting for her mother to prepare breakfast. Her father and her older sister soon joined her and her mother was done cooking, place all the dishes and bowls of rice on the table. Her parents and her older sister were talking while she remained silent, eating her food at her own pace.

“Mum, I’ll be coming home late. I need to do something for the editor.”

“Oh, is that so? Do you want me to keep some food for dinner?”

“No, it’s fine. The editor will treat me and my colleagues. We need to prepare for an interview.”

“Interview? Who are you going to interview?”

“Who else? That famous superstar, Sonoda Mayuko.”

Kei’s heart stopped for a few seconds after hearing her sister’s words. They seemed to not notice her reaction as they continued to talk. She was trying to finish her breakfast quickly so that she could avoid the conversation and go to school.

“She is such a lucky girl. I bet her parents must be proud of her.”

“They are proud, mum,” her older sister rolled her eyes. “Their daughter’s fame makes them even more arrogant. See how they treated Kei? They ignored her although she’s their daughter’s best friend.”

“Really?” her mother quickly turned to look at her youngest daughter. “Kei-chan, why you didn’t tell me about it?”

She only let out a small sigh before she answered her mother’s question.

“It doesn’t matter, for now, mum. She’s been busy with acting, so she doesn’t have time to care about someone like me anyway.”

“You can’t say something like that. You and Mayu-chan had been friends since elementary school.”

“So what? Even her parents ignored me after their daughter became famous.”

“That’s a harsh reality,” her father finally spoke out. “Once you are famous, you will forget everyone who had been your family or your friend. This is why I don’t agree with you to become an actress.”

Kei was frowning at her father. Her mother and her sister noticed her reaction and they were trying to change the topic when she replied coldly.

“I choose what I want to be. You don’t have the right to decide my future.”

“Oh, is that so? From all of the future careers, why do you want to be an actress? Is it because of your passion for acting or you want to be a better actress than Sonoda Mayuko?”

Her father was done eating and he took out a newspaper to read it before he spoke again.

“You are now a third-year senior high schooler. Stop daydreaming and think of a better career that can give you a bright future.”

Kei was losing her patience and she was done eating her breakfast. She stood up, picking up her school bag and stormed out from her house. She was only a few metres away when her older sister called out for her to stop.

“Kei, we need to talk.”

“What do you want? Are you trying to make me apologise to dad?”

“Kei, dad wants you to make the right choice. There is always a reason why he doesn’t want you to be an actress like your friend, Mayuko.”

“Just straight to the point already! I don’t want to be late for school!”

There was silence between them. Her sister did not say anything for first and she had the urge to leave and run to school. She was still staying, waiting for her sister to speak and her patience was almost reaching the limit.

“Straight to the point, huh? Alright. First of all, you can’t even act at all. You have a terrible stage fright even if you got a smaller role in the school sketch when you were in elementary school. Mum and I clapped for you because you tried your best, not because we highly supported you to be a future actress.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“You think it’s easy to be an actress? All the famous superstars could not get to enjoy their private life in peace. They can’t go out to have fun with their family and friends or doing something they enjoyed. All because of their tight schedules. Also, they are at risk of being stalked by some mad fans or getting death threats from haters. Do you want to go through all that?”

“How did you know that?”

“I’m working for a magazine company, remember?” her sister sighed. “Don’t waste your time trying to go against Mayuko. Why don’t you find something else that you are good at instead of acting? It’s no use begging to that Drama Club president to let you join his club.”

“I’m doing whatever I want!”

“Kei, this is your final year in school-“

“Can you just stop acting like you’re our dad??”

“At least he doesn’t know about your problem between you and Mayuko before she became a famous superstar.”

Kei immediately went silent when her sister brought up about that topic. Mayuko did say that both of them will become child superstars together until the day she betrayed her.

In their final year at elementary school, the principal was organising a talent show and mentioned that the winner would have the chance to be a star in the famous television show. Almost all the students participated until Kei and Mayuko were qualified in the final round.

From Kei’s perspective, Mayuko badly wanted to win the talent show. So, she sabotaged Kei’s performance, allowing the television show director to choose Mayuko as a winner. No matter how many times Kei explained about Mayuko’s dirty tactics, no one would ever believe her.

Except for her older sister.

“So, what are you going to do?”

“…I don’t know. I really need to go to school now. I’m not in a mood to talk.”

“Alright. Take good care of yourself.”

* * *

The summer was almost approaching and the students in senior high school were starting to get busy for the upcoming school festival. Especially when some important guests we’re coming to see the students' performance based on what they learnt in school lessons.

“Hey, Sawada. What are you going to do for the school festival?”

Ietsuna was having recess break with Sakaguchi, Aratani, Kataoka and Takeo and they had recently talked about their club’s preparation for the school festival.

“The Cooking Club would be making a fusion of food and beverages. Aratani and I teamed up with someone to make a cake while others would be making fruit tarts, pies and puddings.”

“Wow, that sounds delicious!” said Kataoka with amazement. “I would love to try any of them during the festival.”

“Haha, me too!” added Takeo. “It must be fun making all the delicious desserts.”

Ietsuna and Aratani’s mood slowly dampened and the other three quickly noticed their expression.

“What’s wrong?” Sakaguchi asked curiously.

“Nothing. It’s just that…someone does not like to cooperate with us…” Aratani answered with her monotone voice.

“Someone? Who’s that?” Takeo asked.

“The third-year student named Ikehara Kei,” Ietsuna answered. “I have no idea what should we do to make her cooperate with us.”

“Why would you want to team up with her at the first place?” added Sakaguchi.

“I wanted to learn how to bake a cake and senior Nakagawa told me that senior Ikehara was good at it.”

“She’s acting as if she’s the only one who knows how to bake a cake,” Kataoka rolled her eyes.

“Honestly, she’s good,” Aratani commented. “President Sugihara wanted her to show us how she baked a cake and it was delicious. Sawada wanted to learn since he was planning to bake a birthday cake for his father.”

“Really?” Kataoka’s eyes brightened. “If you do it, that would be the nicest thing you have ever done to your father.”

“Yes, and if only I know my father’s date of birth.”

“You don’t know his date of birth?” asked Sakaguchi. “Shouldn’t at least someone remember his birthday?”

“I don’t know what to say but I feel like he had stopped remembering his birthday,” Ietsuna sighed. “Many things had happened to him before I was born. I was planning to ask Takeo’s granduncle to find out about my father’s birthday.”

“Oh, I can help you to ask,” said Takeo. “Or do you prefer to ask him on your own?”

“Thank you but I would like to ask him. Hopefully, I could learn to bake before his birthday arrives.”

As the recess was almost over, they were prepared to return to the classroom. Ietsuna was following Aratani and Sakaguchi when Kataoka Shiori quickly called out for him.

“Sawada!”

“Yes, Kataoka?”

“Um, we still have time before we return to our classroom. Do you mind if we talk?”

“Alright. Let me tell to others first.”

Ietsuna called out for his friends that he would return later before he followed Kataoka to the school’s vegetable garden. He started to feel curious when she would want to talk with him in sudden.

“Is there something important you want to tell me, Kataoka?”

“I…I’m sorry but I just could not help thinking of what you’ve said earlier.”

“Huh? What did I say?”

“You said that many things had happened to your father before you were born. Is that why he doesn’t want to remember his birthday?”

“It’s rather…complicated.”

“Complicated?”

“He lost many important people in his life; his mother, his grandfather, my mother and my grandfather. He blamed himself for their deaths and he felt like it was pointless to celebrate his birthday. I feel bad when he remembers my birthday.”

“Why would-“ Kataoka stopped talking when she remembered something. “I’m sorry. I forgot that your mother died after you were born.”

“Did I mention that?”

“You nearly fought with Dohachiro Goro last year, remember?”

“Oh, right…”

“Uh, if I’m being too inquisitive, I’m sorry…”

“No, it’s fine. You are one of the few people to ask about my father. But what makes you can’t stop thinking about my father refusing to remember his birthday?”

Kataoka did not say anything for a while. She was staring at the red tomatoes and she let out a small sigh.

“Sawada, I have a secret to tell you.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Do you know why I want to learn how to fight?”

“To protect yourself?”

“More than just protecting myself.”

“Eh?”

“I want to become a police officer.”


	44. saviour

“You want to be a police officer?”

Kataoka nodded her head and she was still staring at the red tomatoes. It was her ambition ever since she was studying in elementary school and she did notice that some children about her age doubted her ambition to be a police officer.

_****“Police are scary…”** ** _

****_“…and dangerous…”_ ** **

****_“Police are only for boys, Shiori.”_ ** **

She ignored their words and she cared less about anyone's negative opinion about her ambition. As she grew tired of people's unfavourable words, she kept her ambition a secret. While she was waiting for Ietsuna's reply, she was half expecting that he would say the same as anyone else.

“That is a brilliant ambition you have, Kataoka.”

She blinked her eyes with surprise and when she looked up to see Ietsuna, he was smiling genuinely at her.

“You are not doubting about my ambition, Sawada?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“Not everyone would like the idea of me being a police officer. All because I’m a girl and a girl should not take a dangerous job. That’s what they would say.”

“Well, I don’t see anything wrong about you being a police officer,” Ietsuna replied as he stood beside her. “Anyone can become whatever they want. I was often laughed at when they found out that I can cook. They said cooking is the girls' job.”

“Looks like we are experiencing the same situation.”

“Indeed. Though I may ask why you want to be a police officer?”

“There is one person I wanted to meet. A person who saved my life when I was only three years old.”

“Saved your life?”

“A fire broke out around the area where I was staying. The fire was burning fiercely and I was trapped in the house. My parents were screaming for help and I was crying. It was a scary sight. Those fires looked like some ghosts laughing at me. My left arm suffered a burn after I got hit with something hot.”

Kataoka rolled her left sleeve to show a burnt scar on her left arm. Ietsuna frowned and he seemed to understand why she was often seen wearing a cardigan or long-sleeved school uniform even during the summer season.

“I’m sorry. I…I really did not know that you went through a horrendous incident.”

“It’s alright.”

“So, what happened next?”

“I heard someone was pushing the burning woods aside to rescue me. A young police officer came over and he wrapped me with a thick wet towel. He told me do not be afraid, we can win against the fire monster. He suffered more burns than I was but he never gave up rescuing me. My parents could not stop thanking him and I could not forget the day he saved me.”

“You want to become a police officer so that one day, you would meet and thank him?”

Kataoka nodded and she smiled.

“I see. I wish you all the best, Kataoka. I hope that someday, you will meet your saviour.”

“Thank you, Sawada.”

“Did you get to join any martial arts?”

“Ah, well…I did. But some seniors told me that I often got the wrong move or something.”

“Wrong move?”

“Like, I threw my fist and they said I got it wrong.”

Kataoka threw a punch at the air and Ietsuna was observing it. He nodded his head once after finding out what was wrong with her fist.

“You shouldn’t wrap your fingers around your thumb, Kataoka. You would break or dislocate your thumb once you throw a punch.”

He gently took her hand and he taught her how to make a strong, proper fist to punch.

“First of all, curl your fingers into your palm, starting with the little finger. Next, envelop your fingers with your thumb. Always remember to position your thumb over and behind your fingers. Do not allow your little finger to stick out. Make sure you make your fist just tight enough so it does not untangle when you hit a target, but not too tight or you would end up cutting off circulation in your fingers.”

Kataoka was looking and she started to understand the mistakes she made. She once again threw a punch and she was surprised that it was much powerful than before.

“Wow! I never knew that there is a way to make a proper punch.”

“At least you’ve learnt something new today.”

“What if I want you to teach me how to fight instead? You’re pretty good at it.”

“I’m not good yet, I still have a lot to learn from my father.”

“It’s alright, I understand. I guess we should return to our classroom now.”

“Kataoka?”

“Yes?”

“You can’t stop thinking about my father refusing to remember his birthday. Is it because you too, refusing to remember your birthday?”

“Eh??” her eyes widened with shock. “How did you know??”

“I once overheard our homeroom teacher from junior high school asking about your date of birth. You look reluctant to answer his question.”

“I see. Uh, that’s because...the fire incident happened on my third birthday.” 

* * *

"Hurry up! Get the hot water before the lady yells at us again!" 

"Where's the towel?? Oh, great! Give me those quickly!"

The servants in the Hibari household were busy gathering some things and Suguru knew what was happening. Kenichi and his second wife finally had a child and this would mean that he might take over Katsuya's position as the head of the clan. Though there was still no news from the former head of the clan, Kenichi was confident that he would take over the Hibari clan. 

His second wife was critical over everything when it comes to her beloved baby. She was making sure that her baby gets the most wonderful clothes, most nutritious foods and most comfortable sleep. Suguru rolled his eyes, feeling aggravated. The baby was treated as if he was the crown prince in a royal family. 

"What's wrong, Suguru?"

Katsuya asked while he was looking at the papers on his table. Suguru did not answer for a while before he cleared his throat to speak. 

"I do not want to be rude or anything but your older brother's baby is treated as if they are the most expensive diamond in the world."

Katsuya snorted with laughter. 

"He's been waiting for many years to have his own child. Just let him be." 

"Or he just wants to show off. Do you remember his extremely jealous face when Amaya gave birth to Satoshi?"

"I do remember. That is why he and his first wife had been trying so hard to get a child after Satoshi was born."

"Aren't you worried that he would take over your place as he's the oldest child in the family?"

"I don't mind if he wants to take over my place. It all depends on the old man's decision."

"Are you giving up?"

"Who knows? Maybe I can finally spend more time with Satoshi and Fon," Katsuya placed the papers on the table. "Back to the topic. Any news from the Niwatori clan's attacker?"

"Only the recent news I got from our followers. The culprit once again dispatched other attackers to assault the younger boys from the Asari clan. The boys were having a swordsmanship training in the mountains." 

"Asari clan?? They are not even the yakuza organisation."

"My opinion is that the attacker heard about Asari Ugetsu, a talented swordsman who was said to have no equal during his era. They wanted to see their strength if they were truly the descendants of Asari Ugetsu."

Katsuya did know about a talented swordsman named Asari Ugetsu from his grandfather. His sword fighting skills were outstanding that he could make up all the powerful sword techniques while fighting at the same time. His current descendants had decided to learn sword fighting skills so that his swords techniques would not be forgotten as the time passed. 

"I do hear about him but that's not an excuse to attack the Asari clan," Katsuya gritted his teeth. "Cowards. If they do have grudge against the Hibari clan, they should have to face me right now instead of attacking other families or clans."

"Katsuya, you need to get more rest. You hardly slept ever since the Niwatori clan was attacked."

"And I am free to let the culprit do whatever they want??"

"Just let me handle it from here. If I found any important clues, I will tell you."

Before Katsuya would reply, they heard the sound of a crying baby from outside his room. Suguru slides the door open and he saw a woman carrying her newborn baby in her arms. She was trying her best to keep her baby quiet as she was on her way to the former head of the clan's room. 

"Where are you going?" 

Katsuya asked the woman with his cold tone. She soon stopped walking and she was giving her smug look at them. 

"I just want my dearest father-in-law to see his beloved grandson. Is there anything wrong?"

"He is still unwell and I do not think that it is a good idea to let him see your baby," Katsuya replied. 

"You are just worried that my husband would take over your place," she sneered. "Why don't you step down and spend more time with your son? It's no wonder he hates you because you prioritise your work more than him. Well, it's just got worse after your beloved wife died." 

He tightened his fists and he was trying not to lash out his anger as he did not want to frighten the baby. 

"Madam, master Katsuya is concerned about your baby," Suguru spoke up. "The former head of the clan is having a fever and master feared that the baby would get sick-"

"Don't you dare to teach me, young man!" she growled. "An outsider like you do not have the right to speak with me and the clan members!"

"Watch your mouth, woman," Katsuya glared. "Suguru had been a family in Hibari clan and you do not have to right to say those words at him. If it wasn't because you are Kenichi's second wife, you are nothing but an outsider." 

"The second wife??" she said with aghast. "You dare to address me that way?? You'll wait and see. One day if my husband finally becomes the head of the clan, I will tell him that you have been treated me badly."

"Great. I will be waiting for that day to happen."

The baby started to cry again after being disturbed by his mother's loud voice. The three of them soon heard the entrance door open and the older boy with messy brown hair appeared with his school bag in his hand. Satoshi's unnerving stare immediately made the woman's face turn pale and she quickly brought her baby along back to her room. While Katsuya and Suguru were surprised that she was afraid of Satoshi, Katsuya turned to look at his son with his disapproved look. 

"Satoshi, you know it's rude to stare at your relative like that."

The boy ignored his father's words and all he wanted was to go back to his room. Suguru knew that he still hated his father and he went on to speak kindly to him. 

"Sato-kun, if you are tired, you can go and take a nap. I'll inform you when dinner is ready."

Satoshi nodded and he went back to his room. Katsuya let out a small sigh, feeling worse for himself. 

"I have to wonder who is Satoshi's father."

"Don't say that, Katsuya. No matter what happens, you are his father. It is not too late to fix your relationship between you and him." 

"...I know."

"You better rest too. I'll inform you when dinner is ready."

Katsuya nodded and he went back to his room. Suguru wanted to go and see Satoshi when one of the followers came to him with his pale face. 

"What's wrong? Is there another attack?"

"N-no. That Italian prisoner, Sergio. He...he was found dead...in his prison..."


	45. story

****_“What do you understand about the gang fight incident so far?”_****

****_“I initially thought that the gang fight was organised to determine who is the strongest fighter. I never knew that it was organised to annihilate a spy sent by the Hibari clan.”_ ** **

****_“You are not the only one. I was shocked to hear the truth from the seniors. If I knew that it is a yakuza organisation, I would not have joined in the first place.”_ ** **

****_“Aren’t gangster group and yakuza organisation the same thing?”_ ** **

****_“It is but to me, I thought the gangster group consists of older students who picked on weak students and collects protection money from them. If you leave the gangster group, you will be treated the same as those weak and helpless students. However, in yakuza organisation, you will need to go through a terrifying punishment before you are allowed to leave or before the boss kicked you out.”_ ** **

****_“So, yubitsume (finger shortening) is one of the most brutal punishments in yakuza organisation?”_ ** **

****_“Yes. If you see anyone loses any finger, you know that they were once a yakuza member.”_ ** **

****_“I see. Hatanaka, I need to ask you something.”_ ** **

****_“What is it?”_ ** **

****_“I first heard that your boss wanted to recruit more followers but he could not do so due to his brother's interference. Do you know who is he?”_ ** **

****_“Oh, you’re talking about my boss? He serves as the ‘manager' of a boss from an unknown organisation.”_ ** **

****_“...I don’t get it.”_ ** **

****_“Let me try to explain. Before I know that it's a yakuza organisation, it is a gangster group with different ranks. There are two bosses; the first is the main boss and I never get to see him. The second act as boss number two and he is the one I’ve met when the seniors brought me to see him after the recruitment. Despite the meeting, I could not get to see his face. I heard rumours that boss number two is a good friend of the principal from senior high school.”_ ** **

****_“For real??”_ ** **

****_“That's what I heard.”_ ** **

****_“Hatanaka, I was wondering what makes you decide to tell me all about this secret? Would it be risky to tell anyone about it?”_ ** **

****_“I'm leaving Japan soon, so I feel like I should do something to end the conflict.”_ ** **

****_“Conflict?”_ ** **

****_“Yes. This conflict needs to end before more people become a victim.”_ ** **

Ietsuna remembered the last time Hatanaka told him everything about the gangster group. He was worried for first after hearing it from him but as there were no bully cases for months after he was attacked, he safely assumed that it was already over.

However, after Takeo's older cousins were assaulted by the attackers, he felt uneasy again. While he was glad that Hatanaka had moved to Italy with his mother and his Italian stepfather, he was concerned about other people's safety.

He was holding a photo of his great-grandfather. A photo of Sawada Ieyasu with a dying will flame on his forehead. A photo where he was the first boss of the Vongola Famiglia.

If it was true that Ietsuna finally activated his dying will flame, why he could not do it?

What he should do to be able to use his Sky Flame again?

****_“When we are dying, we would think of something that we could not accomplish it. That is where we start to feel nothing but regret. Because of regret, we can rise again to accomplish what we have not done.”_ ** **

Ietsuna shook his head hard, dismissing his ridiculous thoughts to activate his dying will flame. His father did explain how the dying will flame was activated but he would not dare to risk his own life just to activate it.

“There must be another way to activate it. I’m not going to endanger my life. Father was already worried sick after I was stabbed by that senior student last year.”

He looked at the photo again and he frowned.

Dying will flame. He wondered what Vongola Primo had regretted before he was able to use his Sky Flame for the first time?

“Ugh, I don’t even know how it happened. Hatanaka said that there’s a flame burning at my forehead but how??”

He grew frustrated and there was no one he would ask to help him how to activate his Sky Flame.

He did ask his father and the answer was shocking.

****_“Sorry, Ietsuna. I do wish I could show you how to activate it.”_ ** **

****_“What do you mean, father?”_ ** **

****_“I’m yet to see my own Sky Flame. Or perhaps, I just don’t have it.”_ ** **

****_“Father, please don’t say such a thing. Maybe one day you will be able to see your flame.”_ ** **

****_“I wonder how long I will wait for that to happen._ ** **

Was his father still unable to let go of the guilt he was carrying for his whole life?

Ietsuna only let out a small sigh before he stood up and he kept the photo in his drawer desk. As he was done with the housework and laundry, he was planning to finish up his schoolwork. He slowly felt like he did not want to do it and he eventually left the house to have a walk.

He walked past Mrs Tanaka’s house and he could see Hatsuka sitting in the living room with papers and books on the table. It took her some time for her to notice his presence before she quickly invited him to the house.

“You should have called me from outside or I might not notice you,” Hatsuka laughed as she brought some tea and snacks.

“I don’t want to disturb you doing some revisions. I just want to walk around to clear my mind,” Ietsuna replied.

“Ah, it’s fine. I’m in the middle of finishing my reports. I need to submit it to the head of the student council.”

“Did you ever take a break? You’ve been busy lately.”

“Oh, I did,” Hatsuka grinned. “I did rest while reading an essay written by Satoshi. He wrote it when he was in elementary school.”

“You kept his elementary school essay?” Ietsuna raised his eyebrow with curiosity.

“It’s not what you’re thinking! I once helped him doing spring cleaning in his house and he was throwing away lots of his things!” Hatsuka quickly explained before she sighed. “This essay was important to him and I don’t know why he decided to throw it away.”

“Important? What is it about?”

“Back then, the Japanese language teacher wanted the students to write a simple short story. Satoshi later thought of his favourite bedtime story that his late mother used to tell. So, he wrote it and he got the highest marks among the students.”

Hatsuka gave the paper to Ietsuna and he started to read the essay.

_Once upon a time, they were three best friends who lived in a small village. The three best friends had decided that they would travel around the world together when they grow up. After they grew up, the three best friends left the village and they had been travelling around the world while gaining lots of knowledge. One day, the three best friends arrived in a large town and they saw a very beautiful princess standing on the balcony of the palace. Her beauty captured the three best friends’ heart. The king wanted to test their friendship bond and telling them that there will be only one who will get to marry the princess. So, the king organised a fight contest for the three of them. The second friend knew that the first friend was the strongest and since he wanted to marry the princess, he decided to poison the first friend. The third friend learnt about the second friend’s dirty tactic and he was not sure what he should do as both of them were his friends. The third friend made a wise decision by taking the poison instead of the first friend. Learning about the second friend’s trick and the third friend’s sacrifice, the first friend managed to defeat the second friend without mercy and the king soon announced the princess’s groom to the public. The first friend was married to the princess and they lived happily ever after._

Ietsuna was done reading and he found it hard to believe that it was Satoshi’s favourite bedtime story. He never heard it before. Most of the bedtime stories he heard from his father were the fairy tales and Japanese folktales.

“What do you think of it?”

“I have no idea. I never heard of this bedtime story.”

“That’s because his late mother was good in literature. She could create some short stories based on her imagination.”

“I see. He is lucky to have his mother telling bedtime stories to him.”

“Yes, but unfortunately, she died. He loves his mother so much that he treasures that essay so much.”

“And yet, he threw it away. I don’t understand why he would do that.”

“I want to know it too. That’s why I kept it for him if one day, he might want it back.”

“Hatsuka?”

“Yes?”

“Satoshi did mention that he lost his mother when he was young. I noticed that there's a pained look from his eyes. Did something bad happened to his mother?”

Hatsuka did not speak for a while as she slowly remembered the day Satoshi lost his mother in the past. It was the time she witnessed Satoshi's change of personality.

“His mother was killed by a group of yakuza members.”

Ietsuna's face went pale upon hearing Hatsuka's words.

“His mother...was killed?”

“I heard it from granny. He was in the hospital with his parents because his mother was giving birth to his little brother. While his father was talking to the doctor, he and his mother went out to have fresh air but only to end up being attacked and killed by the yakuza members. Satoshi was mentally wounded when he watched his mother died with his eyes. After his mother's death, he started to shut himself off from everyone including his father. While he still trusts me, I'm just sad that he is no longer a joyful person.”

“I...I didn’t know that he went through something horrible. Especially when he...witnessed his mother's death.”

“He loves his mother more than his father. So, it’s understandable why he was saddened by her death.”

“Then, what about his little brother?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. No one knows what happened to his little brother even my granny. Some say he died and some said he was missing. Only uncle Katsuya knows.”

They were silent after knowing Satoshi's dark backstory until Hatsuka heard her grandmother calling out for her. She went out to see her, leaving Ietsuna in the living room.

He often thought that it was sad to lose his mother after he was born. If he was in Satoshi's place, watching his mother killed in front of him, he would be as traumatised as he was.

He picked up the essay and he read it again. He admitted that it was a good bedtime story created by Satoshi's mother but part of his mind was telling him that it was quite realistic.

Three best friends shared the same ambition; to travel around the world to gain more knowledge. The first friend was fair and ambitious. The second friend was smart and cunning. The third friend was humble and considerate. The king wanted to test their friendship bond by announcing that there would be only one who could be the princess's groom. Because of the king’s motive, their friendship shattered in many ways. The first friend was not forgiving. The second friend was selfish. The third friend sacrificed his life for both of them. While it was indeed a good ending for the first friend and the princess, Ietsuna felt that the other two friends did not deserve to get the bad end of their story.

“Good evening, Ietsuna,” Mrs Tanaka greeted after she reached the living room. “I didn’t know you are coming to visit.”

“Good evening, granny,” Ietsuna greeted back. “Hatsuka is the one who invited me here.”

“Ah, she did mention it to me. Would you like to eat some buns? My friend makes lots of it and she wanted me to take some of it.”

“That would be great. Thank you, granny.”


	46. betray

The news was spreading fast in school. Ikehara Kei was known to be the most obnoxious student all thanks to her attitude and it was no wonder why she hardly had friends. After the principal of senior high school announced that Sonoda Mayuko would be coming to school as one of the important guests, Ikehara was angrier and she could not stop throwing her spite at other students. Sugihara Kohaku, the Cooking Club president who was known to be the most patient student in the school had finally snapped and he threatened her to leave the Cooking Club if she ever continued to be mean towards the members.

The school hours were over and most of the students already went home. Some were staying behind to clean up the classroom and the sports field. Two third-year girls were seen talking to each other while packing their bags.

“I heard that she was scolded by Sugihara. What happened?”

“It’s obvious. You know better than that.”

“I know but Sugihara seemed to get used with her attitude. Now it looks like she already tested his patience.”

“The school carnival is coming soon and she still refused to cooperate with other Cooking Club members. Some said that she threw her tantrum when she heard that Sonoda Mayuko is one of the guests coming to our school carnival. So, Sugihara could no longer tolerate it and he told her to leave the club if she did not want to cooperate.”

“Is that so? I think I understand why the Drama Club president did not want to accept her as the member.”

“Right? Do you remember the time where she told everyone that Sonoda Mayuko was a cheater and do not deserve to get the best young actress award? She looks like she had a grudge against her. She always said ‘Sonoda Mayuko, the Drama Queen'. That title suits Ikehara better than anyone.”

“She’s just jealous. Though I must say that her resentment is much worse than some girls who also never liked Sonoda Mayuko.”

“I personally don’t like Mayuko but I would not go and badmouthing her to everyone. It makes me feel worse.”

“If only Ikehara is as thoughtful as you are.”

“It’s too late for her. Even Sugihara could not stand her attitude. I wonder what will happen to the Cooking Club. Rather than badmouthing Mayuko, she should have spent more of her time baking some cookies and cakes.”

“Exactly! She just wasted her good talent-“

The door slid open and the two girls turned around to see who was coming. Ikehara Kei had a nasty frown on her face and she simply took her books, placing them in her bag before leaving the classroom. She ignored the stares from the two girls and other students’ whispers as she passed by.

She did happen to see both Sugihara and the Drama Club president near the teacher’s room but when they saw her, they walked away from where they stood. Kei shook her head and let out a loud sigh, mentally declaring herself as the most hated student in school.

No matter what everyone said about Sonoda Mayuko, she still hated her for her whole life.

Though she was thankful that the teachers would not complain to her parents, she still would be nagged by her sister if she heard about it.

Kei arrived at the Momo Confectionery Shop and there were a few school students from junior high school crowding at one of the racks to have a look at the new sweets. She was not interested with any sweets except for konpeito (Japanese sugar candy). It was her favourite candy ever since she was young and her father often bought a pack for her after returning from work.

Kei was not hating her father. She only could not accept the truth spoken by her father.

Her ego was slowly destroying her relationship with her father.

She would usually buy the usual rainbow colour konpeito until something caught her attention. She saw a small bottle of shiny white and red konpeito and it was the only one among all the konpeitos in the shelf. She instantly thought that it would be a new product and she decided to give it a try. She took the white red konpeito and paid for it before leaving the confectionery shop.

Kei was on her way home when she felt like she was being followed from behind. She wanted to glance behind but doing that might attract their attention.

She did not know what to do. Should she scream for help? Or run away?

She realised that screaming would not help her escaping from danger. No one would want to help a mean girl like her.

“Why are you walking so quickly, missy?”

“Can’t wait to see your mummy and daddy?”

Two older males were snickering as they watched while following Kei. She gritted her teeth tightly and she turned around to face both of them with her furious look.

“What do you want from me?! If you want money, I can give it to you!”

“Nah, we don’t want money. We just want to teach you a lesson.”

“Lesson? What do you mean?”

“We are ordered to teach someone a lesson for insulting Sonoda Mayuko.”

“W-what??” Kei’s eyes widened with shock. “No way! Did she order both of you to teach me a lesson?!”

“That’s none of your business, missy. You hate her so much, so you do not have the right to know about her life.”

The two males were slowly approaching Kei and she felt helpless. If she ran, the two males would be able to catch her quickly.

“Um, why are two of you following senior Ikehara?”

She heard someone’s voice and the three of them were looking at the blond boy. Ietsuna was looking at the two older males with a dislike look and they were annoyed with his presence.

“If you want to stay alive, you better leave. This is none of your business.”

Ietsuna ignored their warning and he was looking at Kei.

“Senior Ikehara, are they bothering you?”

She was about to answer when one of the males laughed out loud.

“We just want to invite her to have a drink with us, kid! There’s nothing you should worry!”

“I agree!” the other male added. “Why would you care about her even after how she treated you??”

Ietsuna was glaring at them and the two older males noticed the seriousness from his eyes.

“I do care because she’s my friend. Now leave her alone.”

Kei was speechless after hearing Ietsuna’s answer. She knew that she had been horrible to him but she never expected him to accept her as a friend. While she was getting confused, one of the older males went on to throw a punch at Ietsuna.

He easily dodged his punch and he hit the other’s neck from behind with his elbow. The older male collapsed on the ground and he was unconscious. The other older male was shocked and he took out a small knife to attack Ietsuna. The blond boy quickly grabbed his wrist and he twisted it to block his movement. The older male was groaning in pain and Ietsuna went on to hit his stomach with his feet.

After both of the older males were defeated, Ietsuna took Kei’s hand and he brought her to his house. She was still in shock and he brought her to sit on the couch before he went to the kitchen to get a glass of water for her.

“Here, drink it. You must be exhausted after what had happened.”

“Why are you helping me?”

“Huh?”

“I said, why are you helping me?”

“Um, you are in danger, so I should help you-“

“You said that you do care because I’m your friend!” Kei snapped. “What are you trying to say?? What’s even your purpose??”

“Are you expecting me to ignore you and let the two men taking advantage of you?”

“Well, you should! I’ve always treated you badly, so why bother to help me??”

Kei’s eyes were filled with tears and she bit her lips with frustration. Ietsuna was concerned and he gave her a tissue paper for her to wipe her tears. She simply took it and quickly wiped it off.

“I know that you are being mean to me, senior Ikehara. But that does not stop me from helping someone who is in danger. It is obvious that those men are having a bad intention and you are desperately asking for help.”

She was silent as she listened to his reply. It came across her mind that no one was as kind as Ietsuna. She started to feel bad for treating him badly and she wanted to look away from him, feeling ashamed of herself.

“Senior, did you know why those men were following you?”

“They…they said that they ordered to teach me a lesson for insulting Sonoda Mayuko.”

“For real?”

“Yes. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s the one ordered them to wipe my existence.”

Ietsuna frowned at her statement. He thought it was too extreme for her to say wiping her existence.

“I heard that Sonoda Mayuko was your best friend. Why do you hate her so much? Shouldn’t you be happy for her achievement?”

“Because she doesn’t deserve it.”

“Deserve?”

“Mayuko was being teased by other children because she came from a poor family. Her father was addicted to gambling and her mother had to wash dishes in a small restaurant. I feel bad for her and I decided to share my lunch with her during the school recess time. My father never liked her and her parents as he always thought that they took advantage of my kindness. I still befriend her and we dreamed to be a superstar together when we grow up. Until the day she betrayed me.”

“She betrayed you?”

“The school principal in our elementary school organised a talent show and the winner would have the chance to be on the television show. She once told me that if I were the winner, she would be happy for me. But when she found out that the judges would pick me as the winner, she sabotaged my performance.”

“Mayuko sabotaged your performance? I thought she’s supporting you.”

“That’s what I thought. After she did it, it was her turn and she gained more favour from the judges and the students. I could not forgive her and I had been telling everyone that she was cheating. No one believed me and they assumed that I was jealous of her success. I once came to her and I demand an explanation. She only told me, there are a winner and a loser. Just accept the fact that a loser will always be a loser. Even her parents were laughing at me. I would never forget. I could not trust anyone easily after being betrayed by someone I trust the most.”

Kei was done telling her story and she had a pained look on her face. Ietsuna could hardly believe that Sonoda Mayuko would betray Kei most dreadfully.

He seemed to understand the pain that Vongola Primo had suffered after Daemon Spade betrayed him. If Primo could not forgive Daemon Spade, he would end up just like Kei, unable to trust anyone.

“Senior Ikehara, if it’s true that Sonoda Mayuko mocked you as a loser, shouldn’t you do something to show her that you are not a loser?”

“What do you mean?”

“You always wanted to join the Drama Club so that you would be a better actress than Mayuko. And yet, the Drama Club president still did not want to accept you. Either it’s because the club is full or, you don’t have a talent in acting.”

“Sawada Ietsuna, are you trying to make me angry?”

“I’m not trying to make you angry. I’m trying to make you realise that you are narrowing down your paths. If you always want to stick up with your plan to go against Mayuko, you will miss your perfect opportunity to show her what are you capable of.”

“I’m not good at anything-!”

“Except for cooking.”

“…what?”

“Have you not realised what is your true ability that Sonoda Mayuko doesn’t have?”


	47. reason

“My true ability?”

Ietsuna nodded his head and she began to think what she was good at. She was bad at everything including acting. No matter how many times she tried, her stage fright would get worse. That was why her sister told her to just ignore Mayuko and find something else better to do.

“No way. I don’t special abilities. She’s almost good at everything.”

“Do you think that she’s good at cooking or baking cakes?”

“Nah, she hardly cooks anything. Her mother only brought some leftover foods from the place where she worked. Since she’s a popular superstar, she does not have to worry about her meals.” 

“Sounds great to you, senior Ikehara. You are one step ahead Mayuko.”

“Me? One step ahead?”

“It’s similar to a story about a tortoise and a hare. The hare is confident that it would win the race, so it stops and falls asleep. The tortoise continues to move slowly but without stopping and finally, it wins the race.”

“I heard about that story. What about it?”

“You are the tortoise and she is the hare. Mayuko sabotaged your performance because she wanted to win the prize quickly. Meanwhile, you worked hard so that people could enjoy eating the food you made. You are likely to be more successful by doing things slowly and steadily than by acting quickly and carelessly. Yes, she’s indeed far more successful than you are but for how long if she continues to take shortcuts in her life?”

Kei was staring at her reflection from the water in the glass. Most people seemed to admire Sonoda Mayuko but only a few knew about her backstory.

Kei, her sister and her parents.

Ever since Kei started to share her food with Mayuko, she had been telling her mother to prepare another bento so that she could share with her friend. Her mother would not mind preparing extra food but her father thought that it became Mayuko’s bad habit to rely on someone to feed her.

He once came to talk to his daughter with a dissatisfied look on his face.

****_“Kei, do her parents cook at home?”_ ** **

****_“No. Both of them are working. What’s wrong?”_ ** **

****_“I’m not saying that it’s bad to share food with your friend but don’t you think it’s too much? She’s been getting free food from us and I’m not pleased.”_ ** **

****_“B-but, she’s my friend-“_ ** **

****_“A friend who took advantage of someone’s kindness? Wake up, Kei. Other children are far better than Mayuko.”_ ** **

****_“No, she’s the best! I will not believe that she would be mean towards me!”_ ** **

****_“Then don’t come to me crying if anything happens.”_ ** **

Kei deeply sighed. She had been wasting most of her time trying to go against someone who only used her instead of being a friend.

As she thought about it, baking some cakes and pastries made her happier than anything else.

She slowly stood up and picking up her bag. She already made up her mind and she felt like the burden in her mind was removed.

“Are you going home? Do you want me to accompany you?”

“No, it’s fine. My house is near and I can go on my own.”

“I see.”

“I’ll lend a hand for the upcoming school carnival.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I want to apologise to Sugihara, you and everyone for the trouble I’ve caused. And I’ll stop plotting my ‘revenge’ against Sonoda Mayuko.”

“…senior Ikehara?”

“Yes?”

“Whether it is good or bad, there is always a reason for a betrayal. If you still think of Sonoda Mayuko as your childhood friend, would you like to give her another chance to explain her reason?”

“…she ignored me, so why should I give her a chance?”

“Please don’t misunderstand my explanation. Maybe she was not in a comfortable situation to tell you the truth behind the betrayal. I’m not at her side but I have the feeling that she did not mean to treat you badly.”

“…I don’t know. Unless she comes to me, I’m not going to think about it. For now, the school carnival is the top priority. I’ve wasted too much time.”

“…I understand.”

“By the way…”

Kei opened her bag and she took out a small bottle of white-red konpeito before she passed it to Ietsuna.

“This is for saving my life. Thanks. I would have been dead if it’s not because of you.”

“Y-you don’t have to give it to me! I just do what I should-“

“I insist! Just take it or I won’t be able to sleep tonight!”

Her face was getting red and she was not used to giving something as a form of gratitude. Ietsuna later accepted the konpeito and she quickly left the house without saying anything.

It was an awkward situation and he was looking at the small bottle filled with white-red konpeito. He was hoping that one day, Kei and Mayuko would reconcile. Before Sakaguchi told him that the girl in the magazine cover was Sonoda Mayuko, he could see a tinge of sadness from her eyes.

She probably had suffered the loneliness without her childhood friend around.

* * *

There were a few older men gathered in the storeroom and they were seen punching and kicking a younger man on the floor. Shiro happened to pass by and he was alarmed, looking at the younger man’s state. He shouted at the men and he quickly checked the younger man’s condition before he scolded the men.

“What in the world is happening?? What did he do wrong this time?!”

“The boss told us that he was the one who sold that item to one of the students earlier this evening,” one of them answered.

“And what item is that??”

“A small bottle of white-red konpeito,” another man answered. “This brat did not bother to ask and he went on to sell the same price as the normal konpeitos.”

Shiro frowned and he turned to look at the heavily injured younger man.

“Is it true that you sell it to one of the students?”

The younger man slowly nodded his head and he was in pain.

“I…I was being told…to stock up some new items. I…I thought…that…it was also for sale…so I placed it together with…other konpeitos…”

“And then?”

“T-then…the boss came in and…he was panicking. He…he was searching…the the whole shop to look for something. He asked me if…if I saw a bottle of…white-red konpeito. And…after I told him…that I…I sold it to one of…the students, he…he was enraged. And later ordered the men to…”

The younger man was unable to answer as he felt another sharp pain coming from his injuries. Shiro ignored the men and he carried the younger man to a resting room. After treating his injuries, he told the shop workers to look after him while he went to meet the confectionery shop owner who was in the office.

“Shiro, you should knock the door before I allow you to enter,” Kenichi spoke with a displeased look on his face. “Do not forget that you are working for me just because you have been here for the longest time.”

“Boss, I truly apologise for my rudeness. I am here to speak about the new worker.”

“Oh, what about him?”

“He’s yet to learn more of do’s and don’ts in the shop. Do you need to go that far just because he mistakenly sold that bottle of konpeito?”

Kenichi frowned and he was staring intently at Shiro. The other was aware of his boss’s mood but he would not back away until he had the answer.

“Yes, I would need to teach that newbie a little lesson because it is the most severe mistake he ever did. He shouldn’t have decided it on his own.”

“If that bottle is too important to you, why you did not find out who’s the one misplacing it?”

Kenichi had a nasty grin on his face and this time, Shiro knew that he probably had screwed it. As much he wanted justice for the new worker, he too did not want to try to mess with his boss.

“Shiro, I heard that you live with your grandmother. She’s suffering from a long-term illness and you had been working so hard to pay for her medical bills.”

“Yes, what about it?”

“I have good news for you. If you can help me to get back that white-red konpeito for me, I am willing to give you a raise, two times than your usual pay.”

“…why would you want to get it back? Is it so important to you?”

“You dare to question me? You should be feeling delighted after getting a well-deserved raise.”

“…what if I refuse?”

“Simple. If you refuse, then I will need to kick you out from this shop. And I will make sure that no doctors will help you to treat your grandmother.”

Shiro’s face went pale and Kenichi was chuckling, looking at his reaction.

“I pity your grandmother. She must be crying in pain and wishing for her quick death, rather than continuing to suffer.”

Shiro felt trapped. He lost his parents when he was young and all he had was his grandmother. He loved her so much that he was willing to do anything to protect her. He knew that Kenichi had been doing something illegal but he continued to work for him so that he could pay his grandmother’s medical bills.

If his grandmother found out about it, she would be sad.

He had no choice.

“…alright, boss. I’ll accept it.”

“Great!” Kenichi laughed and he clapped his hands. “I am so proud of you, Shiro. You’ve done the right thing. As for that newbie, please tell him that he is no longer a worker of this confectionery shop.”

He opened a drawer and he took out a large sum of money, placing it on the desk for Shiro to take it.

“This is much more than his usual pay but it is enough for him to compensate for his injury. Hurry, give it to him before I change my mind.”

Shiro was mentally reluctant but his hand moved to take the money from the desk. He slowly walked out of the office and he was on his way to the resting room. He ordered the workers to leave and he sat beside the young man.

“Is…is there something…wrong…?”

The young man was quite worried and he was ready to blame himself if Shiro was scolded by the boss just to help him. Shiro only managed to smile at him and placing the money at the young man’s hands.

“I’ve talked to the boss. It’s a huge misunderstanding. I hope you can forgive him for his brutal act towards you.”

“I…I don’t understand. What…what’s happening?”

“Please take this money as compensation for the injuries you suffered at work. You are no longer a worker of Momo Confectionery Shop. Get well soon and I wish you luck finding a better job soon.”

“…w-why? Did…did I do anything wrong-“

“No, no. It is never your fault. Just, please…forget about today’s misfortune and find another job. The faster you leave, the better.”

The younger man was confused. As much he wanted more answers from Shiro, the other stood up and leave the resting room without saying any word.

After closing the shop’s door with everyone, Shiro was walking all on his own. He was not proud of himself. He was protecting the wrong person. He did not get proper justice for the young man who was brutally punished because of a small mistake.

_“It is not his fault. He didn’t know. He is still young. I do not wish to see him working with a cold-hearted boss.”_

He stopped walking and he was in front of his house. He never felt like going home. He was ashamed of himself.

He wished that he was brave enough but what he could do? Kenichi was coming from the Hibari Clan and he too had the power to control the whole town.

****_“I will make sure that no doctors will help you to treat your grandmother.”_ ** **

He seemed to understand why Hatsuka disliked him so much-

“Shiro, what are you doing out there?”

His grandmother was standing in front of him with her curious look. Shiro blinked his eyes and he simply smiled at her.

“It’s nothing, grandma. I’m home.” 


	48. box

“No. I’m sorry but I can’t accept your presentation for the upcoming school carnival.”

“What? But, headmistress...this is my club's best presentation for the event.”

Sugihara Kohaku was in the deputy headmistress's office to show the Cooking Club's list of desserts that he and the members would make for the school carnival. The deputy headmistress still had an unsatisfactory look on her face and she shook her head, handing the list back to Sugihara.

“I do love your club's idea of combining local and western cuisine but this will not attract the guest's interest. A green tea flavoured cake? What is the difference between this cake and other cakes that Ikehara Kei made last year aside from the taste? Fruit tarts? This is more like a western dessert than a local dessert.”

“I...I thought this is the best idea we ever made-“

“Sugihara Kohaku,” the deputy headmistress said sternly. “Your club's presentation has to be something different and extraordinary. Something that is enough to surprise the guests coming to the school. You do know who are the guests, right?”

“...Three administrators from the state's department of education, a journalist from a newspaper company and a famous young actress named Sonoda Mayuko.”

“Yes. You have time until the end of the summer holidays and if you are yet to present any better idea, I will consider that your club will not be participating in the school carnival.”

“...yes, headmistress.”

Sugihara left the office with his dejected look and the Drama Club president named Edward was giving his concerned look at him.

“What happened, Sugihara?”

“...the deputy headmistress rejected my idea. I only have time until the end of the summer holidays to resubmit my new idea or else...”

“Cheer up. I believe you can come up with a better idea. You have that girl named Ikehara Kei to help you, right? She's great when it comes to desserts.”

“Yes, but we already the best idea with her help. Now I don’t know what to do.”

“You can’t give up yet. The deputy headmistress rejected my ideas for six times until she finally accepted my new idea.”

“It would be fine if the headmaster just accepted our ideas without questioning anything.”

“Yes but too bad, he’s away for important business.”

Edward pats his shoulder before he entered the deputy headmistress's office. Sugihara sighed and he did not feel like announcing it to the club members. He returned to the Cooking Club room and all the members were anxiously waiting for his news. Right after he told them, the members groaned with disappointment.

“I know. I understand that you are disappointed but we still have time until the end of the summer holidays.”

“We already put lots of effort into this idea!” Taki complained loudly. “I don’t understand why that woman does not want to accept our idea!”

“Um, Taki,” Nakagawa interrupted. “It's better not to speak ill of our deputy headmistress.”

“I wouldn’t if she didn’t reject our idea!”

“It’s no wonder almost all the students dislike the deputy headmistress,” Aratani sighed. “What kind of surprise she wanted to see badly?”

“I don’t know,” Ietsuna replied. “If that's her reason, the guests must be really important.”

Sugihara told the members to keep quiet and he suggested that they would start doing the school carnival project in their next meeting as he wanted them to learn about the Japanese cuisine. He soon gave them some simple tasks and the members started to gather some ingredients and cooking utensils. Ietsuna was opening the drawer and to his shock, it was a disastrous mess. Some wooden boxes were not stacked, stainless steel bowls were placed at different spots and chopsticks were everywhere in the drawer.

“What's wrong, Sawada?” Aratani asked curiously.

“Nothing. It’s just that the drawer is in a mess,” Ietsuna replied as he pointed his finger at the drawer he had opened.

“Oh gosh, who in the world did it?”

Ikehara Kei happened to pass by and her eyes saw the condition of the drawer before she let out a small sigh.

“I’m sorry that you have to see that, Sawada. There was a girl who had the habit of not arranging things. No matter how many times we told her to arrange it, she did not listen.”

“So, what happened to that girl?” Aratani asked again.

“She was transferred to another state with her family,” Kei answered. “Probably because her father found a new job.”

“I see,” Ietsuna rolled his sleeves. “I’ll just rearrange them before we can start our work. By the way, are these wooden tier boxes?”

“Yes, these tier boxes are known as jubako,” Kei explained. “They are often used to hold takeaway lunches, presents or to hold osechi.”

“Osechi?”

“Osechi-ryōri are traditional Japanese New Year foods,” Aratani explained. “This tradition started in the Heian period and osechi are recognizable by their special tier boxes called jubako. Even each of the foods in the boxes has a special meaning while celebrating the New Year.”

“Ah, yes. My mum often cooked a lot of food days before the New Year and she later arranged them in the tier boxes where we would eat it during the New Year,” Kei added.

“Is that so? I wish I could try some New Year foods,” Ietsuna sighed. “My neighbour and her granddaughters were always away to celebrate New Year with her son and her daughter-in-law. Hatsuka did once tell me that her mother made osechi but I forget to ask her about it.”

“You can come over to my house during the New Year,” Aratani suggested. “My father made lots of them.”

“No, it's alright-“

Kei had something in her mind and she clapped her hands loudly. Sugihara and all the members turned to look at her with their curious look and she began to feel excited.

“Everyone! I think I know what we can do for the school carnival!”

“Huh? Really??”

“Is that so?” asked Sugihara. “What is in your mind?”

“It is something that will make our deputy headmistress impressed with my new idea!”

* * *

A beautiful girl with long black hair was seen wearing a pretty dress and she had a satisfying smirk on her face. She let out a small girlish laugh while her slender hands were holding a gold necklace. Another girl in a worn-out dress was kneeling in front of the black-haired girl and she was begging her with her depressed look.

“You...you can have...my kingdom...but...not my necklace. It...it is a present...from my father...please, give it back...”

“Give it back? Hm, I don’t think so. Everything that you and your pathetic royal family own belongs to me. Including this beautiful necklace. I wonder where did your precious father find this necklace? It is such a great masterpiece.”

“That...that is because...it was specially made for...my 16th birthday...”

“Oh? May I know who is that talented jeweller? I must have them make some jewellery to celebrate my victory.”

“He...he is no longer around...”

“No longer around? Is he dead? Hmph, guess I will keep this necklace then.”

“No! Please give it back! It’s mine!”

The black-haired girl waved her hand gracefully and two men appeared to drag the other girl away as she wailed. The black-haired girl smirked again and she put on the necklace around her neck, admiring the beauty of the necklace.

“Cut!! Perfect shot!!”

Sonoda Mayuko sighed loudly and she sat down on the chair with some assistants coming to her to give some water for her to drink, brushing her hair and even fanning her to avoid herself from sweating. The director approached and he could not stop praising for her outstanding acting skills. Mayuko only nodded, smiled and answered a few times of his questions.

She was glad that it was the last day of the shootings as she could take a break from any acting activity.

“Miss Sonoda?”

A man with a tattoo on his left arm was standing a few inches away from her and Mayuko frowned at his presence. She told the assistants to leave her alone before she turned to look at the man.

“What is it, mister Ren?” she asked with her unpleasant tone.

“I am here to fetch you home. The boss misses you so much that he wants to see you.”

“Miss me? I'd rather not see him. Just by looking at his face makes me want to throw out.”

“Miss Sonoda, I need to advise you to not say those words to the boss. You do know that he is the reason why you made it here.”

Mayuko wanted to reply but no words came out from her mouth. She lowered her head and she would not forget something that would stay in her mind forever.

Her father's addiction to gambling grew worse that at one point, he was beaten up by a group of gangsters in her house for not paying his huge debts. Even her mother's salary could not settle all his debts. Ren's boss threatened to cut his fingers off if he still did not pay his debts and much to Mayuko's horror, her father decided to sell his own daughter to Ren's boss.

The boss laughed loudly and he refused to take her as payment until he thought of a brilliant idea.

****_“Mr Sonoda, I heard that there’s a talent show happening in your daughter’s school. If she wins, she could be a superstar and the money she earns will be deducted from your debts. This means she will have to stay by my side until your debts are cleared up. What do you think about it?”_ ** **

Mayuko was begging her parents not to agree with him but they never listen to her. Her mother had her devastated look on her face. She knelt and hugged her daughter tightly as she whispered at her ear.

****_“I'm sorry, Mayuko. I know this is hard for you but no matter what happens, he’s your father. Don’t you want to do something to save your father's life?”_ ** **

Mayuko was speechless. She felt empty from inside. She seemed realised that her mother loved her father so much that she made her do something that was against her will.

****_“How could you do this to me?! What did I do wrong to you?! Tell me! Don’t just stay silent!!”_ ** **

She could not forget her best friend's rage look. She wanted to cry so much for betraying her but she remained emotionless.

After all, saving her useless father was her top priority. Even if it meant to break her friendship with Ikehara Kei.

“Am I going to see him after this?”

“Originally, yes but unfortunately, he is away for a business trip. You will get to see him after a few days. For now, you will return to your home.”

“...alright.”

“Do you know that you are the special guest for the upcoming school carnival in Ajisai Senior High School?”

“Of course I know. The director wants to promote his new show and he had been choosing which lucky school would have me as a special guest.”

“All your fans are excited to see you.”

“Don’t say fans. I do have haters as well because I often played some evil characters.”

“If they hate you because of your portrayal as evil characters, it means you did a great job in acting.”

“...I hate my job.”

“Why is that so? I thought you always wanted to be a superstar. It is a dream career for most of the girls about your age.”

“Mister Ren, let me say this again. Yes, it is always my dream to be a superstar. I want to work hard to achieve my dream, not playing dirty. Thanks to my dearest father, I have to suffer for the rest of my life. I would rather go back to school and study like a normal girl than working to pay all the damn debts.”

Mayuko was glaring at Ren and she turned away to drink some water. Ren only let out a small sigh and he told her that he would be waiting for her to pack her things before he left the studio.

She never wanted to go home to see her parents. She wished that she could stay at Ikehara Kei’s house as it was truly her home.

However, Kei was yet to forgive her. 


	49. wish

She was a grown-up woman. She was the boss of the Vongola Famiglia. She fought against those who tried to bring down her family. But this would not stop her from missing her late father.

She was alone in the crypt of the Vongola. She was sitting in front of Vongola Settimo’s grave with some flowers in her hands. It was scary to imagine, sitting alone in a place with many graves around but she was not afraid. After all, it was a sacred place where all the previous Vongola bosses and their guardians were resting.

Whenever Daniela felt that she needed to clear her mind, she would go to the crypt to see her father.

She faced many dangers and hardship. She just wanted someone to listen to all her frustrated thoughts.

“Vongola Ottavo?”

She knew who was calling her. Only one guardian who had a deep northern Italian accent.

A tall man in his almost late forties had a short, wavy dark hair and he was seen wearing a black suit. He was Daniela’s Rain Guardian named Adamo, the oldest among all her guardians.

“Adamo, I thought I told you not to come here-“

“Unless there is an emergency,” Adamo added and he gave a small grin. “Sorry for bothering you at this moment but this is important.”

“If it is about your new cocktail recipe again, I’m going to shoot you with my crossbow.”

“No, no, I haven’t created any new drinks yet. I promise. It’s not a joke.”

“…what is it?”

“I received this letter from Eva. She originally wanted to give it to you but she had to do something important. So, she wants me to pass it to you.”

“Why not placing it on my desk?”

“I would do that but Eva said it is important.”

Adamo gave the letter to Daniela and when she took it, she saw her name written on the envelope. When she looked at the back of the envelope, there was another name written in kanji (Chinese characters).

****_沢田吉信 (Sawada Yoshinobu)_ ** **

If she remembered correctly, the Japanese people would write their names starting from their surname to their given name.

She stared at the name and then, she turned to look at the grave that was placed right in the centre of the crypt.

“What happened?”

“It’s nothing. Be prepared for something important.”

“Something important?”

“Vongola Primo is coming home.”

* * *

****_“Sawada, I need to talk to you.”_ ** **

A soft brown-haired girl about Reiko's age had a disturbed look on her face. So disturbed that Yoshinobu knew that she had something serious she wanted to tell. From any of the students, why would she want to talk to him?

_****“What happened, Imamura? You look like you did not get enough sleep.”** ** _

****_“...I guess you are right but that is not important. I...I just need your advice.”_ ** **

****_“I am only good at punching people, not giving advice. Why don’t you ask Katsuya or Reiko instead?”_ ** **

****_“I...I am sorry. I...I really need to talk to you instead of them.”_ ** **

_****“...what is it?”** ** _

****_“I...I don’t know what should I do. This is about Katsuya and Nori.”_ ** **

****_“Why? Did something happen to both of them?”_ ** **

_****“No, it’s just...I could not choose between them.”** ** _

****_“I thought you like Katsuya. Why would you mention Nori?”_ ** **

****_“Yes, I indeed like Katsuya but...Nori had been my friend since we were children.”_ ** **

****_“Nori is your childhood friend?”_ ** **

****_“I...I was often bullied by other children. Nori stood up and protected me. We were always together until I heard that his family was attacked. I never saw him after that and when I came to this school as a transfer student, I could not believe that I would see him again. He was still kind to me but...he held a deep grudge against Katsuya.”_ ** **

****_“Nori had a grudge against Katsuya? How is that so?”_ ** **

****_“I...I don’t know. He did not want to tell me the reason. When he knew that Katsuya was in love with me, he was...enraged. He told me how could I do this to him. He said that he was far better than him, so why I choose Katsuya? I...I don’t know what to do.”_ ** **

****_“...Imamura, I need you to be honest with me. Who is Nori to you?”_ ** **

****_“He...he is an important person in my life.”_ ** **

****_“Do you have any special feelings towards Nori?”_ ** **

****_“I...I only see him... like a brother.”_ ** **

****_“What about Katsuya?”_ ** **

****_“He is...someone I could not stop thinking. I...I mean...I never feel such warmth in my heart ever since I met him.”_ ** **

****_“Isn’t that obvious to you already?”_ ** **

****_“I know! I just don’t want to hurt anyone's feelings!”_ ** **

****_“So, you are going to stick with someone you see them as a sibling? You need to find your own happiness, Imamura. You make your decision, not Nori.”_ ** **

****_“Would he be upset if I choose Katsuya?”_ ** **

****_“Upset or not, he does not have the right to force you to choose him over the man you love. If he wants to see you happy, he should just let you choose Katsuya.”_ ** **

****_“...I see. I understand why Reiko likes you.”_ ** **

****_“Excuse me?”_ ** **

_****“Nothing-“** ** _

They were interrupted by another student who quickly told Yoshinobu that his grandfather was dying. His face went pale as soon he heard the news but he was reluctant. He remembered that he needed to compete in a gang fight. Imamura noticed his look and she quickly shook her head. 

****_“Sawada, forget about the gang fight. Go back and see your grandfather.”_ ** **

****_“I can’t. This is important and I-“_ ** **

****_“Please, just go back! Forget about this useless fight! Family is more important!”_ ** **

Yoshinobu was stunned with her sudden behaviour. Amaya shouted with distress and she was crying. Why was she so desperate to tell him to go home and forget about the gang fight?

****_“Imamura, what is exactly happening here?”_ ** **

****_“It...is hard to explain...but...I promise that I will tell you the truth. For now...please, go back and see your grandfather...”_ ** **

****_“...I...”_ ** **

****_“Reiko told me that you badly wanted to see him. So...what are you waiting for?”_ ** **

If it was not because of Amaya's sudden distress, Yoshinobu was almost late to see his grandfather before he passed away.

Ieyasu weakly smiled at his presence as he spoke out his last few words to his grandson.

****_“Welcome home, Yoshinobu.”_ ** **

He had completely forgotten about the gang fight as he had been devastated by his grandfather’s passing. He realised that it took him many years to mend his broken heart and he started to think what Amaya wanted to tell him back then.

She promised that she would tell him the truth. But she was already dead. There was no point asking Katsuya as he refused to say anything about it.

Was there a reason why Katsuya would never want to involve him in his family matter anymore?

Most of the children were seen playing around the field and some were trying to catch some bugs in the park so that they could complete their report before submitting it to their teacher. The summer holidays have arrived and it was not a surprise to see them having fun. Yoshinobu remembered that Ietsuna had been in school during the holidays because the Cooking Club members were busy with their preparation for the school carnival.

Yoshinobu promised that he would be coming to the school carnival with Mrs Tanaka although Ietsuna never wanted him to take another leave from work.

If he wanted to be a better parent, he would do anything to make his son happy.

While he was in his own thoughts, he accidentally bumped into someone and caused them to drop their things on the ground.

“Sorry,” Yoshinobu quickly picked up the books and papers. “I’m so sorry-“

“How about next time, use your eyes to look where are you going.”

He blinked when he recognised the voice. Takahashi Ryoko was frowning at him and she was picking up her things as well. He stood up and passed the things to her before he apologised again.

“I'm sorry again-“

“Look, this is the third time you apologised to me, so, it’s fine.”

“If you’re still mad at me, I understand.”

“Huh? Why would I be mad at you??”

“…because I threatened you three years ago and the last time when we were high school students?”

“…you even remembered that? And you think I’m still mad because of that?”

“I don’t ask you to forgive me but I just want to apologise-“

“Alright, alright, I forgive you,” Ryoko quickly interrupted. “Well, it took you many years to apologise to me. Though honestly, I want to apologise to you and Reiko.”

“Why?”

“Many reasons. I loathed you because you were a gangster and you were the reason why my sister died. I always thought that you forced her to get pregnant when she was not allowed to have a baby due to her unknown illness. But, once I saw your son suffered a severe injury, I realised that I had been wrong. I slowly understand why she would make that such a dangerous decision.”

Ryoko held her things tightly and she lowered her head.

“You always had been the most dangerous guy I’ve seen in high school. The students and even the teachers were afraid of you. I was shocked to hear that my sister became friends with you and I had been trying to tell her not to get too close to you. I was afraid that you would hurt her but instead, you listened to her. You stopped being violent after you started to be her friend. I was surprised that you left the gangster group after becoming her boyfriend. She was the only one who was able to stop you from taking the wrong path. She knew that she was about to die. That is why she had a child with you, hoping that they will be able to help you when she’s gone.”

She was done explaining and there was silence between them. Only some children screaming happily because they found a rare bug and they were running to catch it.

“Reiko knew that I was still broken. She always knew.”

Yoshinobu’s held out his hand to touch the scar from his left eye.

“I always had been a heartless person. I let my grudge taking over my mind and I did what I think was the right thing to do. I saved your sister from the boys who tried to harass her. But the moment she smiled and thanked me, I felt strange. Her smile had erased every dark thought that surrounded my mind.”

He sighed.

“Believe it or not, Reiko and I once argued each other.”

Ryoko turned to look at him with surprise.

“Both of you did? Why?”

“She wanted a child. And I was against it. I clearly knew about her illness and when I heard that she wanted a baby, I did not allow her to do so. She was upset that she locked herself up in a room. My father (Yoshimune) went to talk to her and after some time, he told me to just fulfil her wish.”

It was quite a serious argument as far he knew. Back then, only Yoshimune understood Reiko’s wish.

****_“Shin, if your wife wants a baby, just do it for her.”_ ** **

****_“I can’t do that! She suffered an unknown illness and it will get worse if she’s pregnant!”_ ** **

****_“Yes and yet, she still wants it. Let her become a mother before she dies or else, she would regret it for the rest of her life.”_ ** **

****_“B…but…”_ ** **

****_“She has her reason. If she was truly afraid of death, she would not ask for this.”_ ** **

Reiko did the right thing. If Ietsuna was not born, Yoshinobu’s life would be more different than he was in the present.

“So…she was the one who wanted to get pregnant?”

“…yes.”

“…then, I’m happy for her.”

“Why?”

“Because she finally gets to be a mother before she died. Even if she only had a few minutes embracing her baby, it was enough to make her happy.”

Ryoko took out a small book and she passed it to Yoshinobu.

“Here, take it. This book belonged to Reiko. She wrote all the short stories when she was in high school.”

“I don’t read literature books. And shouldn’t you keep it? This was your sister’s book.”

“Well, you better find some time to read books,” she placed it on his hands. “I figured that you should keep it. I read it many times already and the stories are good. Sorry but I have to go now.” 

She bowed and she quickly walked away, leaving him behind. He only watched her and then turned to look at the small book. He opened it and he could recognise Reiko’s pretty handwriting. There were many short stories written in a book and he could imagine that she would be a successful writer if she still lived.

_An Invisible Treasure_

_The Adventures of a Cat named Fortuna_

_The Golden Pumpkin_

_The Snake and the Axe_

His eyes widened with surprise when he looked at the last short story title.

_The Story of Three Best Friends (in collaboration with my best friend, Imamura Amaya)_


	50. threat

“Excuse me, girls. Has anyone of you ever purchased a bottle of white-red konpeito a few weeks ago?”

“Uh, I don’t think I bought any konpeito. I don’t really like to eat them.”

“Eh?? How could you not like it? It’s cute and delicious!”

Shiro had been asking the students who came over to the shop to find out if they did buy the white-red konpeito. None of them saw or bought it and he was getting frustrated. He wished that there would be at least one student to admit that they did buy it and he would be able to retrieve it.

His grandmother was ill and the medical bills were getting more expensive. He did not have enough money to pay as he still did not get the raise as promised by his boss.

_****“I will give you a raise is you could get back that white-red konpeito for me.”** ** _

****_“...why is that item is so important to you? Care to tell me the exact reason?”_ ** **

****_“This is none of your business. All you need to do is to get it back even if you have to use violence. After you did it, I will give you the raise.”_ ** **

Shiro sighed and he gripped his hair tightly. The young staff who sold that konpeito by mistake only told him that he sold it to a female student from Ajisai high school and he was praying hard that it was not Hatsuka who bought the white-red konpeito.

“Ah, I just remembered!”

One of the girls exclaimed and Shiro quickly turned to look at her.

“I think I saw one girl standing at the shelf with lots of konpeitos there. She only took a bottle of konpeito and it was white and red in colour.”

“Really? Do you know who is she?” asked Shiro quickly.

“We never see her before, so I think she’s from Ajisai Senior High School. She hardly smiles and always frowning.”

“Wait, that girl? Isn’t she’s the one who hates that superstar named Sonoda Mayuko?”

“She hates Sonoda Mayuko?” asked Shiro further.

“Yes, some people know that she was her childhood friend,” one of the girls added. “I don’t understand her hatred towards Sonoda Mayuko. She’s just jealous.”

Shiro started to recall that he knew who were they referring to. When he was younger, he once saw two little girls coming inside the shop to buy some sweets. One of them was younger Sonoda Mayuko and another one was her best friend named Ikehara Kei.

If it was true that they were talking about Ikehara Kei, did it mean that he had to look for her and have her returning the white-red konpeito to him?

His grandmother was his top priority. There was nothing wrong about returning that stupid confectionery to his boss, right?

It was almost late at night and the workers were busy cleaning up to close the shop. Shiro was done counting the sales profit and he was on his way to his boss's office to submit the sales report.

He was about to knock the door when he heard Kenichi was talking with someone.

“...you don’t have to worry. I will get back that item as soon as possible.”

“You have to be quick about it before someone else finds it. I trust you so much that I decided to let you keep that special confectionery.”

“It’s an accident! If it wasn’t because of that idiot worker of mine, I would have kept it safe-!”

“Do not forget that this special confectionery will flourish your business. If it falls on your brother’s hands, you will lose everything.”

“Is this a threat??”

“A message from me. You already ruin my hard work for the first time. Don’t let this be the second time.”

“First time? You mean...”

“Yes. Your brother’s interference five years ago by sending a spy to investigate the existence of the illegal drug that was distributed by the students from Ajisai Senior High School.”

“So, you are saying that this special konpeito is made with high-quality drugs?”

“Yes. It took me many years to make it perfect. A piece of konpeito is enough to make you happy. Extremely happy. As you eat another piece, that will be the moment you will not stop eating it. You will stop...after you die.”

Shiro’s face was pale after hearing the conversation. It was no wonder Kenichi wanted the white-red konpeito so badly. After learning that the special confectionery was a poisonous drug, he was feeling conflicted.

If he wanted to help his grandmother, he was letting other students be the victim. If he were to protect the students, he would not be able to help his grandmother.

He knew that Kenichi had been doing something illegal behind Hibari’s clan but he could not believe that his boss would choose money over people’s life.

Why would he want to do such a cruel thing? Did he not realise that he had a child?

Shiro shook his head and he was trying to pretend that he did not hear anything. He carefully knocked on the door before he entered and submitted the sales report to Kenichi. He did saw a man with short brown hair and he seemed younger than his boss. He recognised that man named Nori as he heard that Nori was Kenichi's most trusted confectionery supplier. He wanted to leave the office quickly when his boss called out for him.

“Shiro.”

“...yes, boss?”

“Did you manage to find out who is the one bought that white-red konpeito?”

Shiro gulped nervously and he was almost reluctant, to tell the truth. He glanced at the other man who had been staring intently at him. Did Nori know he had been listening to their conversation?

“...I only have a small lead. It was a girl from Ajisai Senior High School.”

“Is that all you can do??” Kenichi glared at Shiro. “Remember that your grandmother's life is in your hands! Make it quick if you want to pay her medical bills!”

“...yes, boss.”

“Ajisai Senior High School, huh?”

Nori spoke out and the two of them turned to look at him. A small smile formed on his face and he looked at Shiro.

“Have you ever seen how the girl looks like?”

“...I...I didn’t see her. I heard that she...she has brown hair.”

“Brown hair? Are you aware that there are many female students with brown hair?”

“Well, I...”

“Coincidentally, my client will be visiting that school as a special guest. So, how about the two of us attend the upcoming school carnival?”

“Two of...us? But...why me?”

“Because you know the girl who bought that special konpeito. I need you to tell me which one and I will personally retrieve that confectionery from her.”

“I...I'm sorry. I'm busy with work-“

“I’m sure that Kenichi will let me borrow you for a day. Why? Are you planning to take it and give it to the police after finding out that it is a poisonous drug?”

Shiro grew horrified and Nori smirked wider while looking at his reaction.

“Your face is white. As white as your name, Shiro. I know that you have been listening and it is rude to eavesdrop people's conversation.”

“I...I didn’t mean to-“

“Ever heard of mad honey disease? Thousands of mafia members in Italy died after consuming a so-called miracle drug. A drug that is rumoured to heal any kinds of sickness and boosting self-confidence. The Amarillide drug was unfortunately banned and destroyed. The creator escaped from being caught and I was blessed to have him recreate his proudest creation.”

Nori stood up and he was standing in front of Shiro, grinning while placing his finger on the other's cheek, tapping lightly.

“Do you want to be a hero? You can’t even save your grandmother. If you ever tell anyone about this, I would love to have your grandmother as my first guest to try my special confectionery.”

“N-no! Please don’t do it! She’s the only family member I have! I...I’ll do anything!!”

“Anything?”

“Y-yes, anything!”

“Well, you heard what your boss says. Get it back no matter what happens.”

Shiro quickly nodded and nervously placed the sales report on the table. He walked out as if he was being chased by a fierce stray dog and Nori could not help laughing at him. Kenichi was a little uncertain before he asked the brown-haired man.

“Nori, don’t you think you’re going too far?”

“Too far? Are you changing your mind?”

“No, I’m just saying that you don’t have to treat him like that.”

“Kenichi, you started to act like Katsuya.”

“I’m not like him! I-”

“I am warning you. I do not forgive backstabbers. Anyone who dares to betray me will face a hellish consequence.”

“Such as...yubitsume?”

“You will lose more than just your fingers.”

* * *

Ietsuna was standing near the hospital’s main entrance as he waited for someone while carrying a basket of fruits. A few people would glance or stare at him with their curious look. Even some children would point their fingers at him, asking their parents if he was a foreigner.

“Mum, is that an Englishman??”

“Don’t point your finger at him! That’s rude!”

The woman only gave her an awkward smile to him before she pulled her child’s hand and quickly walked away. Ietsuna only let out a small sigh as he was already getting used being called as a foreigner.

“Hey, Sawada!”

Takeo came to him and he panted. He was carrying three-tier boxes wrapped with a cloth and he grinned at the blond boy.

“Sorry for my lateness. My mother prepared lots of food for the three of us to share.”

“Oh, it’s alright. I’m the early one,” Ietsuna replied. “I didn’t know that your mother would prepare for me as well.”

“That’s because she wanted to say thanks to you and your father for showing great concern towards my granduncle.”

“Your...your mother don’t have to say that! Because uncle Kazuhiro has been like my family member since...he’s a close friend with my grandfather.”

“Haha, I would thank you too if I were my mother. Let’s get inside to see my granduncle.”

Takeo and Ietsuna went in and they registered their names at the counter. Kazuhiro was admitted to the hospital after he fell on the ground while cleaning the storeroom. The fall caused him to suffer a fractured kneecap and he was unsure when he would be discharged. Yoshinobu and Ietsuna were alarmed after hearing the news from Takeo and they went to see his condition.

It was almost lunchtime and Kazuhiro was relieved that he could get to eat his niece-in-law's cooking as he could not stand eating hospital's meal. The three of them were eating and they were having a pleasant conversation. It was until when a nurse called out for any of Kazuhiro's family member to see the doctor learn more about his injury. Takeo soon excused himself, leaving Ietsuna with his granduncle.

“Ietsuna, how are you feeling right now? Have you been training hard to use your Sky flame?”

“I've been training really hard with my father. I still could not get to activate my flame,” Ietsuna sighed while cleaning up the table and stacking the tier boxes.

“I see. It is hard to activate again if you did not know a proper way to do it.”

“I...I keep on thinking something ridiculous. Like, if I get hurt and dying, I might be able to activate it but...I can’t do that.”

“You can’t go and hurt yourself just to activate your flame, Ietsuna. That is a silly move to do.”

Kazuhiro took a fruit knife on the table and he held it out to show the blond boy. Within a few seconds, a cerulean blue flame appeared and it coated around the fruit knife. Ietsuna's eyes widened with amazement and he could not stop staring at the blue flame.

“U...uncle Kazuhiro, is this...”

“Yes, this is a Rain flame. Did you know the function of this flame?”

“I read it from my father's journal! Rain flame can weaken anything it touches, slowing down the opponent's movements or attacks and cancelling out other flames! I can’t believe that I can see the Rain flame with my own eyes!”

Kazuhiro chuckled and Ietsuna immediately went silent, feeling highly embarrassed.

“I'm sorry. I’m just too excited after seeing the Rain flame...”

“It's alright. You are as excited as Yoshimune after seeing my father's Rain flame when he was young.”

“Did you use it often?”

“My flame is weaker than my father and my brother. So I do not use it much.”

“I see. But how did you do it? You didn’t hurt yourself to activate it...”

“You only need one thing to activate your flame, Ietsuna. Just one simple thing.”

“What do I need?”

“Resolution.”


	51. kozato

“Resolution?”

“Yes. That is the most important thing you need to activate your flame.”

“…how am I supposed to do that?”

“You saved your friend last year. What was the last thing that came into your mind when your friend was screaming for help?”

Ietsuna’s eyes blinked once and he started to remember Hatanaka Masato. His hand slowly placed on his chest and he still could remember the pain he suffered after being stabbed by those senior students.

Hatanaka’s scream was ringing in his head and he had to do something. He tried to ignore the pain because he needed to do something important. And, that would be-

The door slid open and Takeo came back with a file in his arm. Both Ietsuna and Kazuhiro turned to look at him and he simply grinned at them.

“What happened, Takeo?” Kazuhiro asked curiously.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Takeo approached and he placed the file on the table. “The doctor says that you will be discharged in the next few days as it’s not a serious case. However, you still need to rest and take some medicine to ease the pain.”

“That’s great,” Ietsuna smiled warmly. “My father would be happy to hear about it.”

“The faster the better,” Kazuhiro chuckled. “I can’t wait to eat your mother’s cooking.”

Ietsuna decided to leave so that both of them could talk. He took some apples along to wash it before they could eat.

He was walking while thinking back what Kazuhiro had told him about activating his flame. Why would the older man wanted him to remember the attack incident last year? What did it have to do with his flame?

He wanted to enter the washroom when he heard a conversation between a pharmacist and a red-haired boy about his age. As he looked, Ietsuna could see a desperate look on the boy's face while holding some money in his hands.

“This is the price of medicine.”

“Excuse me, why is it more expensive than the normal price?”

“The price of medicine has been decided by the government. We can’t do anything about it.”

“But, I...I don’t have enough money to pay for it. Please, I need it for my sick family member.”

“I am sorry. There is nothing I can do about it. It is your problem that you do not have enough money to pay. You may go and find another place to get cheaper medicine.”

“I can’t! This is the only medicine that could help my sick family member!”

“I understand but, I am truly sorry.”

The red-haired boy bit his lip and he let out a frustrated sigh before leaving the hospital. Ietsuna went over to see the pharmacist and he politely asked about the boy.

“Yes, his family member once came here for a check-up and the doctor already prescribed medicine to ease the pain of the illness. Because his family lived in a far place, the boy decided to enrol a high school in this area and work as a part-timer so that he could pay for the medicine. Unfortunately, the medicine's price has increased and he did not have money to pay for it.”

“I see. I would like to pay for his medicine. Is it alright?”

“Eh? Why would you want to pay for someone you didn’t know?”

“I...I can understand his feeling. Just by looking at his face, I can tell that he cares so much about his family. That is why I want to help him.”

“...I’ve never met anyone as kind as you are.”

The pharmacist went on to pack some medicine in the paper bag and Ietsuna paid for it before he quickly walked out to look for the red-haired boy. The luck was by his side when he found the red-haired boy walking on the sidewalk.

“Excuse me! Hey, you with the red hair!”

The boy stopped walking and he turned his body around with his curious look. Ietsuna approached him and he could see his red eyes clearly. The pupils of the red-haired boy’s eyes took the shape of the four-pointers of a compass and Ietsuna found it interesting.

“Is there anything I can help you?” the boy asked and there was a pained look from his eyes.

“I...I just want to give you this,” Ietsuna gave the paper bag to the boy. “I heard that you need this for your sick family member.”

The boy blinked his eyes and he took the paper bag to check its content. He gasped with surprise and he took out the medicine to have a look.

“Oh my, this is the medicine I needed! But, how did you get it?”

“I paid for it.”

“You paid for it? Why?”

“I overheard your conversation with the pharmacist and you were desperate. That’s why I wanted to help you.”

“...thank you so much,” the red-haired boy smiled. “This means so much to me.”

“I hope your family member will get better.”

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Huh? Me?”

“Aren’t you the blond boy who was hospitalised due to the assault incident last year?”

“How...how did you know it was me?”

“I was in the hospital last year with my family member and the doctors were rushing to bring you to the emergency room. The wound was deep and you were in pain. That was why I wondered if you are feeling better.”

Ietsuna was surprised and he grinned. He somewhat felt happy when a stranger showed great concern when he was heavily injured.

“I’m feeling much better. Thank you so much for your concern.”

“No problem. By the way, my name is Kozato Shoma. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too. My name is Sawada Ietsuna.”

“I would love to talk more with you but I need to go and deliver the medicine to my homeland. See you next time, Ietsuna!”

“Alright! See you next time!”

The red-haired boy named Kozato Shoma waved his hand and he quickly walked to the nearest post office. Ietsuna waved his hand as well and he only watched him walking away. He soon noticed that he was still carrying a basket of apples and he slapped his forehead hard.

“Crap, I’m supposed to wash the apples!”

* * *

The summer season ended and everyone was relieved that they did not have to stay under a scorching summer sun. The weather began to get colder and the deciduous trees shed their leaves. The leaves change from green to red, orange, yellow or brown before falling on the ground.

Yoshinobu was done eating his breakfast and he placed the dishes in the sink. Ietsuna already went to school earlier than usual because he needed to prepare for the school carnival with the Cooking club members. The older Sawada was looking at the sky from the kitchen window and it was a little gloomy. Although the winter was yet to arrive, he was still feeling downhearted as it was the season where he lost his mother.

He had to shake off that thought. He did not want his son to worry about him.

He went back to his room to change his clothes only to see that his desk was in a mess. There were papers where he needed to deal with the client’s accounts and a book given by his late wife’s sister, Ryoko. He had been reading all the short stories and he was in the middle of reading the last story where his late wife wrote with her friend, Amaya.

As it was still early, he decided to finish reading it while waiting for Mrs Tanaka.

_…The king wanted to test their friendship bond and telling them that there will be only one who will get to marry the princess. So, the king organised a fight contest for the three of them. The second friend knew that the first friend was the strongest and since he wanted to marry the princess, he decided to poison the third friend so that he could frame the first friend. The princess learnt about the second friend’s dirty tactic and she was not sure if she should interfere. The princess decided by telling the third friend that his father was dying and he should return home. She soon secretly told the first friend about the second friend's evil plan. Learning about the second friend’s trick, the first friend managed to defeat the second friend without mercy and the king soon announced the princess’s groom to the public._

Yoshinobu’s eyebrow was raised with curiosity. The story did not look like it was written by his late wife.

_The princess decided by telling the third friend that his father was dying and he should return home._

Something that struck his mind. Was Amaya trying to tell him the truth?

When his eyes were fixed at the clock, he stood up and placed the book in the drawer before he resumed changing his clothes. He soon left and he waited for Mrs Tanaka outside her house.

“Oh dear, I am so sorry for keep you waiting,” Mrs Tanaka chuckled as she came out and locked the door. “Hatsuka is such in a hurry that she forgets to place my shoes on the rack.”

“It’s fine. I just came here a while. Are you ready to go, Mrs Tanaka?”

Both of them started to walk and he could see more adults were on their way to the school where the carnival was held. He could hear them talking with excitement, wondering what would their children do for the school carnival. Some greeted Mrs Tanaka as if they had known her for a long time and he remembered that he had something to ask her.

“Mrs Tanaka?”

“Yes?”

“Does Katsuya has a friend named Nori?”

“Ah, you mean Noriaki? He's been a good friend to master Katsuya ever since they were little. Well, things don’t go well for Noriaki's family and he later disappeared for many years.”

“He disappeared?”

“Noriaki's family was doing an illegal business, which was drug trafficking and this almost got both the Hibari Clan and the Niwatori Clan in trouble. Noriaki's family was begging master Katsuya's father to help them but he refused to have him and his own clan to get involved with his illegal business. His whole family were arrested, leaving only young Noriaki behind. Master Katsuya never saw him ever since that day until he went to high school. Coincidentally, Noriaki was there too but he treated master Katsuya coldly, blaming him for his family members' arrest.” 

“And, I heard that he was Amaya's childhood friend.”

“She was Noriaki's childhood friend?”

“You didn’t know?”

“I don’t know. The only thing I know was that master Katsuya told his father that he wished to marry Imamura Amaya.”

“I see. You do know that Katsuya and I got involved in a...gangster fight, right?”

“Yes, yes. I heard only half of it from master Katsuya's father. You immediately went back home to see your dying grandfather, leaving master Katsuya to fight against Noriaki. It was a serious fight that the police had to interfere. Noriaki and his gang were arrested for attempting to harm the people and destroying the public park. No one ever knew Noriaki's fate after the arrest.”

Yoshinobu frowned after he heard Mrs Tanaka's words. He became friends with Katsuya after enrolling in high school and he remembered seeing a boy with short brown hair, always frowning at Katsuya.

However, the boy was extremely friendly towards him (Yoshinobu) and he was trying to invite him to have lunch with him. Katsuya was uncomfortable with Noriaki's treatment towards Yoshinobu and he had been telling him to be careful with that boy.

It was not long when the principal announced that the head of the student council and some members were seriously injured. The investigation led to Katsuya, being accused of the student council's attack but Yoshinobu believed that his friend was innocent. Katsuya was found not guilty and he soon received an unknown letter, telling both him and Yoshinobu to join the gangster fight if they want to know who was the one attacked the student council members.

They did join until Amaya told him to forget about the fight and return home to see his dying grandfather.

Katsuya still refused to tell him anything after he went home and until now. Thanks to Reiko’s book, he seemed to learn half of the truth from the last short story. 


	52. dessert

"Is everyone ready?"

The Cooking Club members were seen wearing dark blue waistcoats that matched their white shirt, black bowtie, black pants and long black skirts. Sugihara was the one who brought all the waistcoats and bowties from his father's restaurant as he wanted the members to dress up nicely during the school carnival. Most of them like it while some of them were not fond of it.

"I feel like I'm working in president Sugihara's restaurant," Mika mumbled while adjusting the ribbon on her white shirt.

"Yes, we are just like those waiters in his father's restaurant," Taki responded. "I wouldn't mind if we dress up like those maids in the European castles."

"Excuse me," Nakagawa cleared her throat. "Let me remind both of you that we are the Cooking Club members, not the Housekeeping Club members."

"I know but if only we could dress up something cute," said Mika.

"How about you start to appreciate the president's hard work for today? We should be lucky that we get to wear it since his father was planning to donate all of the remaining waiters' clothes to the charity."

Ietsuna was done adjusting his bowtie when he saw Aratani gesturing him to come over the window where she stood nearby. With his curious look, he approached before he asked her.

"What is it, Aratani?"

"The guests are here, Sawada. Did you see that superstar, Sonoda Mayuko?"

Ietsuna could see many adults entering the school grounds and some students were guiding them. Minutes later, the male students turned their heads to see Sonoda Mayuko walking in, accompanied by two men. She was seen wearing a pretty pastel coloured dress and her long silky hair was tied up with a large pink ribbon. The other guests had a dissatisfied look on their faces because she gained more attention compared to them.

"It seems that they are not happy with the students' behaviour," Aratani grinned.

"They are from the state's department of education," Ietsuna explained. "They are expecting the students to respect them just like them respecting the teachers."

"Even so, this can't stop the fans to adore their idol," Aratani shrugged her shoulders before she smirked. "Well, you do have fans in school."

He blinked his eyes and he glanced behind to see that some female students were looking at him while giggling. Nakagawa shook her head and she simply smiled at Ietsuna.

"That can't be helped. You look smart in that attire, Sawada. Who knows if our club gains more profit because of you."

"M-me? I mean, why?" Ietsuna flustered and Aratani pats his shoulder.

"Don't worry. We already did our best during the whole summer holidays. Let us show our surprise to the guests."

"Speaking of guests, do you think that senior Ikehara will be alright?" Nakagawa asked as she looked at Kei who was seen arranging the desserts in the boxes. "She seemed to stop talking badly about Sonoda Mayuko recently but I'm afraid that she would...well, cause trouble later."

"She will be fine," Ietsuna smiled. "She wants to do her best for the school carnival. She knows what to do if she meets Sonoda Mayuko."

"What makes you sure that she would not cause trouble?" Aratani asked curiously.

"She would not be here helping us if she continues to throw her ridiculous tantrum again."

Hatsuka knocked the door twice to get Sugihara's attention and as soon as he approached her, she told him that the guests would be coming to visit the Cooking Club's room after watching the Drama Club's performance. Ietsuna soon noticed her tired face and he came to her with his concerned look.

"Hatsuka, are you alright?"

"Oh, I'm fine," she gave a small smile. "I just did not get enough sleep. The student council are busy handling the event most of the time."

"Even Hanako is not as tired as you are. Please take a break if you really need it."

"I...I will. Do you have any sweets for me to eat? I need to keep myself energised."

Ietsuna was about to reply when Ikehara called out for him. The Cooking Club members were in rush to arrange the desserts in the tier boxes after Sugihara told them that the guests were coming.

"I'm sorry, Hatsuka. I have to go. Why don't you have a look at my school bag?"

She nodded her head and she went on to check his bag while he went to help the other members.

Once the desserts were arranged, Kei stacked the boxes carefully and the members were ready to greet the guests. Many minutes had passed and the guests slowly approaching the Cooking Club room. Sugihara and the Cooking Club members bowed and the administrators from the state's department of education were satisfied with their gesture.

Sonoda Mayuko came in later and her eyes met Kei's eyes for the first time after the sabotage incident in their elementary school. Kei remained calm and she pretended that Mayuko was just another important guest. Nakagawa was uncertain and Ietsuna was hoping for both of them to reconcile.

"Sugihara Kohaku, the president of the Cooking Club," the first administrator spoke out with his firm tone. "I heard from the deputy headmistress that you and the members already created something, unusual. Care to tell us what is the surprise would you like to show?"

"Yes, sir. But first, let me explain a little story about Osechi Ryori."

Sugihara took out a piece of paper with a picture of tier boxes with some traditional foods in it.

"Every year, the Japanese people celebrate the New Year Day with traditional New Year foods called Osechi Ryori. It is the most important meal of the year and every dish of these traditional foods has special meaning in welcoming the New Year. Osechi Ryori is usually packed in two or three layers of wooden or lacquer boxes the entire family would share to enjoy on New Year's Day. The multi-tiered boxes symbolize the hope that happiness and wealth would come continuously."

"Hm, that is interesting but are you telling us that you are preparing all the Osechi Ryori dishes?" the second administrator asked with her curious tone.

"Yes, madam. We indeed prepared the Osechi Ryori, with a little creativity."

"Creativity?"

"Instead of preparing the dishes, we decided to make twelve assorted desserts, where each of the desserts representing twelve zodiac animals."

Kei started to open the cover of the box and showed the first three desserts to the guests. Nakagawa went on to introduce the first three desserts.

"The first zodiac animal is Rat (nezumi). People born in the year of the Rat are said to be charming, honest and ambitious. Furthermore, the dessert we made is black sesame Swiss roll cake. Next zodiac animal is Cow (ushi). People born in the year of the Cow are said to be patient, inspiring and mentally alert. The dessert we made here is vanilla and chocolate Swiss roll cake. The third zodiac animal is Tiger (tora). People born in the year of Tiger are said to be sensitive, stubborn, courageous and mean but have great sympathy. Therefore, we made a dessert called apricot cinnamon shortcake."

Kei then carried the first box and placed it aside before showing the next three desserts. Sugihara introducing the next three desserts that representing the next three zodiac animals; Rabbit (usagi) for cherry blossom shortcake, Dragon (tatsu) for matcha cream daifuku and Snake (hebi) for chocolate peppermint mini Bundt cake.

When Nakagawa had her turn to describe the next three desserts, Mayuko's eyes widened at the sight of the cream puff. Kei did notice her reaction while Nakagawa continued to introduce the other desserts; Horse (uma) for a custard fruit tart, Sheep (hitsuji) for honey cream puff and Monkey (saru) for Mille Feuille hazelnut cream.

The honey cream puff was made with a hollow round of choux pastry that was split in half, filled with sweet whipped cream that was shaped to look like an adorable sheep and then dusted with a thick coating of powdered sugar.

Mayuko remembered it well. It was the same cream puff that Kei once made for her birthday. She was expecting Kei to hate her for sabotaging the performance years ago. What was her former best friend thinking?

"The tenth zodiac animal is Rooster (tori). People born in the year of the Rooster are said to be deep thinkers and devoted to work. The dessert we made is golden egg daifuku with pineapple filling. Next zodiac animal is Dog (inu). People born in the year of the Dog are said to be loyal, inspiring and honest. The dessert we made here is chocolate chestnut shortcake. Lastly, the twelfth zodiac animal is Boar (inoshishi). People born in the year of the Boar are said to be brave, honest and affectionate. Therefore, we made a dessert called peach mousse cake."

The guests were amazed by the desserts made by the Cooking Club members and they were highly satisfied. As they could not wait to try all the desserts, Nakagawa, Mika and Taki took out some plates, cutleries and napkins while Sugihara, Ietsuna and Aratani carefully placing the desserts on the plates.

The guests were enjoying eating the desserts and some more students and adults were waiting for their turn to try the desserts. Sugihara could not stop smiling and he turned to look at Ietsuna, Aratani and Kei.

"It's all thanks to the three of you. Your brilliant idea indeed a great surprise for the guests."

"Not exactly, president," Aratani corrected. "We all work together to show our surprise to the guests."

"Well, I guess you're right about it."

Ietsuna was happy but at the same time, he was wondering when his father would come over to try the desserts. Should he go and look for him in case he was lost, looking for the Cooking Club room?

* * *

**_"What's with that long face, Sawada?"_ **

A brown-haired boy about his age sat beside him with his amused look. Yoshinobu was ignoring his presence as he had been thinking something in his mind.

**_"Oi, Sawada. It's rude to ignore me, you know. Are you thinking of something? You can always tell me. I'm your friend."_ **

**_"I'm sorry. I just...I'm feeling angry."_ **

**_"Hm? Feeling angry?"_ **

**_"He's at it again."_ **

**_"Huh? Who is it?"_ **

**_"That guy who was bullying other weaker boys and the teachers were blind to see his actions."_ **

**_"Oh? What does it have to do with you?"_ **

**_"...his father was the one who caused my mother's death last winter. It was his carelessness but everyone said it was an unfortunate accident."_ **

**_"Ah, I'm so sorry about your mother. Are you still angry at him?"_ **

**_"Yes, until now. But...my family told me to ignore them."_ **

**_"No way. How could you just stand there, watching your mother's killer do whatever they want? You should do something to teach them a lesson, Sawada."_ **

**_"I know. But my grandfather-"_ **

**_"Hey, you should never allow anyone to control your decision. You are the only one who will decide what you want to do. If you want to avenge your mother's death, then do it. Why do you need to care so much about someone who doesn't do anything to bring justice for your mother?"_ **

**_"What do you think I should do?"_ **

**_"Easy. If you want to punch him so badly, just do it. Do it for your mother's death. She won't blame you for it. Don't listen to your family's advice. They should have done it earlier if they want justice for your mother."_ **

**_"...yes. Come to think of it, I should have done it in the first place."_ **

**_"That's right! You could have done it without their useless advice!"_ **

**_"I have to wonder why Katsuya doesn't like me being friends with you."_ **

**_"Nah, he's just a narrow-minded person. If you need my help, I'm here for you."_ **

When thinking back about him being friends with a boy named Noriaki during his first year at high school, Yoshinobu regretted not listening to Katsuya's advice. Noriaki was the one who encouraged him to abandon his family's teachings and resorted to using violence to solve the problem.

He managed to get back on his feet because of Reiko, Katsuya and Amaya. Although he was feeling much relieved that Noriaki was arrested long ago, he could not forget how he treated his grandfather.

"Good morning, Black Hawk."

Yoshinobu froze with shock and he quickly turned around. No one else knew about his nickname except for a few people. A man with short brown hair about his age was smiling ear to ear with his hands inside his coat pocket. He slowly approached him while staring at him.

"Who are you?"

"Gosh, you hurt my feelings, Black Hawk. You don't remember me?"

The older Sawada was having a hard time, trying to remember who he was. When he realised after observing his facial features, Yoshinobu's face went a little pale.

"Noriaki, is that you?"

"Noriaki is dead. For now, my name is Nori. Just Nori."


	53. cycle

The feeling of tension grew rapidly in the school backyard where Yoshinobu met Noriaki. For the older Sawada, that brown-haired man would be the last person he would meet in his life. The man whom he once considered him as a good friend after Katsuya. The man who made him strong. And also the man who almost ruined his life.

“Say, Black Hawk. How are you right now?” Nori smiled wider. “It’s been many years and I hardly saw you around. Why are you in Namimori? I thought you are staying in Yamanashi Prefecture.”

Yoshinobu was hesitant to answer his question and he was still looking at him with his uneasy feeling.

“Why are you so quiet? Oh, you must be surprised to see your old friend, right?”

“...You can say that. I moved here after the earthquake hit my hometown.”

“Poor thing. First, you lost your mother and now you lost your home. But, on the bright side, you can start a new life all over again in this district. I can help you if you want.”

“No thanks. I'm fine on my own.”

“Wow, you rejected my help? Seriously, Sawada. You hardly rejected any help I give you. You earn the nickname Black Hawk because I helped you, remember?”

“Yes, I remember. I would appreciate it if you could stop calling me by that nickname.”

“Why is that? Is it because you care about your useless family who stopped you from getting revenge for your mother's death?”

“Stop calling my family useless-!”

“Don’t get me wrong. I only give you some smart advice,” Nori approached and placing his finger on his chest. “It was you who call your own family useless.”

The feeling of guilt struck his heart and he tightened his jaw, frowning slightly. He hated to admit but Nori was right.

He was the one who told Ieyasu that he was a weak leader. The words itself instantly broke the Great Sky's heart.

“You seemed to realise something. If you did not go home and see your dying grandfather, you would join me in the gang fight. We could have been able to defeat Katsuya back then.”

Nori chuckled and he pats Yoshinobu's stiff shoulder.

“I won’t blame you for that, Sawada. I would like to give you a chance because you are a good friend. Since Katsuya rejected you to join his clan, you can join my clan. I can promise you that you will have a brighter future in your life.”

“...I'm sorry. I can’t join your clan.”

“What are you saying?”

Yoshinobu gave his pained look and he removed Nori's hand from his shoulder.

“It is true that I called my own family useless for not doing anything to find justice for my mother's death. I was young and at my age, I still needed my parents' guidance. At my age, I was easily blinded with hatred, which was enough for me to lash out my frustration, saying out something that hurt my grandfather's feelings. After his death, I regretted and I’ve been carrying this sin for the longest time. I would not be surprised if losing my family member and the woman I loved are my punishment for what I’ve done.”

The grey clouds began to drift slowly, covering the sun in the cold season. He only could feel a little warmth as he continued to speak.

“The moment I became a father, a single parent to my only child, I truly understand my family's actions. My grandfather stopped me because he did not want me to get trapped in the cycle of revenge. I ended up assaulting the rickshaw driver and his son. And I went on to attack another one. And all over again. No matter how many times I've hurt someone, my mother would not come back alive. If I was able to forgive both of them, then I would not continue to attack others. Forgiveness is always a way to break the cycle of revenge.”

Yoshinobu's eyes were looking directly at Nori's eyes and he gave a relieved smile.

“How long are you going to continue hating Katsuya? I understand that he was the reason why your family members were arrested. Do you think by hating him will let the police to release your family members? Give up already. You are the one who needs to start a new life.”

Nori tightened his fists and he was glaring at him. He could only give a small, pathetic laugh after hearing Yoshinobu's explanation.

“Me? Giving up? Hell no. My family begged his father to help them but he refused to do anything. Friendship, huh? I always believed that the Hibari Clan would help my family and they treated them like trash. I can never forgive that old man and his damned son. I won’t stop until Katsuya came and kneeling in front of me, begging for my forgiveness.”

“Nori, please. Enough with your revenge-“

“I am going to give you another chance to join my clan because once I successfully take over Namimori, you and your precious child will get the same treatment as Katsuya and his whole family members. Think about it.”

Before Yoshinobu could say anything, Nori walked away without even looking at him. He knew it was effortless to convince the other to forget about his revenge.

He looked up and he could see the morning sky that was much brighter despite the cold season.

“Grandpa, is that the reason why you decided to forgive Daemon Spade? Even if he...betrayed you and your friends?”

* * *

Sonoda Mayuko was on her way to the washroom and she hated it when Ren was always following her around. He often told her that he followed his boss's orders to take good care of her. The students were whispering to each other when they saw both of them walking together.

“Can’t you just...stop following me closely??” Mayuko hissed angrily at Ren.

“Isn’t the bodyguard's duty to watch over you?” said Ren blankly.

“Bodyguards don’t follow way too close! Some people think that we are in a relationship!”

“You can dismiss that easily. The boss can help you to shut their mouth if you want.”

“No thanks. Don’t you dare to tell him. And I need some privacy while using the washroom.”

Ren stood further away from the washroom and Mayuko went inside without looking at him. Coincidentally, Kei was inside to wash the pail and the cloth and she looked up to see who came in.

Both of them were staring at each other as if they did not meet for many years. Kei did not show any expression as she continued to wash the cloth and Mayuko awkwardly stood beside her to wash her hands. She could not bear with the long silence and she decided to talk to Kei.

“Hello, Kei. I love all the desserts you and your friends made. They are delicious and I do love the Osechi Ryori idea.”

“Oh, thank you,” Kei replied. “I’m glad you love it.”

“I’m wondering. Are you the one who came up with all the desserts? I...I remembered that you always love western desserts.”

“Yes, it’s true but it was not enough to reach the deputy headmistress’s expectation. It was one of my junior’s idea to combine both western and local desserts.”

“Then...why you made that cream puff?”

“What do you mean by why?”

“You made the sheep cream puff for my birthday years ago. Why would you want to present it as one of the twelve desserts?”

Kei was silent for a while and her hands were still washing the cloth. She was done with it and placing the cloth back in the pail before she looked at Mayuko.

“You forgot something important, right?”

“Me? What did I forget?”

“Today is your birthday, Sonoda Mayuko.”

Mayuko’s eyes widened with shock and she was almost speechless.

“W-what? But, my birthday is in May.”

“Only a few people know your real birthday. Your parents, me and my family. I have no idea why would you want to fake your own birthday.”

“It...it’s a long story,” Mayuko said hastily. “But why would you do that? I...I thought you hated me so much.”

“Yes. I hate you. I hate you so much that I burn everything you gave me when we were little. I tore all the newspapers and magazines with your face on it! I even forced the Drama Club president to take me in as a member so that I could unleash my talent in acting to beat you!”

Mayuko’s heart ached so much that she nearly cried. She knew that her actions had caused Kei to hate her.

“You hate me, and yet...you made the cream puff for me.”

“My junior told me that there is always a reason for the actions we have done. Despite all my hate towards you, I am willing to wait for you to tell me why you betray me.”

Mayuko blinked her eyes several times and she was unsure if she would tell her the truth. Kei let out a small sigh as she picked up the pail from the sink.

“If you don’t want to tell, I understand. Just forget about what I’m saying-“

“Wait, Kei!” Mayuko grabbed her arm. “I’ll tell you. For all these years, I owe you a huge explanation. But, since someone is waiting for me outside, I’ll tell you what you should know. I…I hope you understand.”

“…Go on. I’m listening.”

* * *

Ietsuna had been walking around the school and asking his friends if they had seen his father. Some said that they saw him going to the washroom and some said that he was at the Kendo dojo to watch the tournament between two different schools. The blond boy was hoping that his father was not lost while looking for his classroom or the Cooking Club room.

He heard someone screaming and he stopped walking. More voices were groaning with pain and it came from the school’s workshop block. Ietsuna had a bad feeling about it. It was the same place where he and Hatsuka saw a group of senior students harassing another younger student three years ago.

He peeked and he was shocked to see that Satoshi was kicking a half-conscious man and hitting his stomach with a jitte (iron stick with hook). Other men were injured and Ietsuna was sure that he was not dreaming.

Satoshi’s face held a murderous aura. He was different compared to how he looked like when Ietsuna first met him.

“Tell me. Who sends you to kill me?”

“…I…I won’t tell…”

“Do you want me to break your fingers to make you answer my question?”

“E…even if you do…I will…not…answer…”

“I admire your loyalty to your boss. I guess I’ll slice all of it and present it to your boss.”

Satoshi knocked the man’s head and he went unconscious. He held up his jitte and he removed the iron bar from its handle, revealing a sharp blade.

Before he could start slicing, Ietsuna came out and he pushed him away harshly. Satoshi fell on the ground, dropping his weapon at the same time.

“S…Satoshi, what in the world are you trying to do??”

“It’s none of your business,” Satoshi answered coldly. “You should leave. You are not supposed to be here.”

“I can’t just stand and watch you slicing off people’s fingers! Why do you have to be so cruel?!”

“Cruel? It looks like you haven’t seen the yakuza’s true nature.”

“Hatsuka will be upset if she sees you like this! She always thought you were busy because of school activities! How are you going to explain it to her??”

Satoshi’s face darkened and he grabbed Ietsuna’s shirt collar, placing the jitte’s sharp blade on his chest.

“I’m warning you. Don’t you ever tell this to Hatsuka. If she finds out, I will find you.”

“…why is that so?” Ietsuna asked calmly despite being in a vulnerable position. “Why you don’t want her to know about what you are doing?”

“I have something to settle and she should not be getting involved.”

“She will find out someday without me telling her about it. What have you been busy with?”

They had been looking at each other and Satoshi did not show any signs of releasing his shirt collar and removing the blade from his chest. It was until they heard a female student’s horrifying scream from a place near the workshop block. Ietsuna felt something was wrong as he pushed Satoshi aside and ran to where the scream came from.

As he reached, Ietsuna’s face went pale. Hatsuka was found unconscious with a pool of blood coming from her head. 


	54. worry

“Kenichi, what the hell are you doing??”

“There’s no need to fuss about it-“

“One student was attacked in this school! If anything happens to her, how am I going to explain to her guardian?!”

“Calm down. If you can manage to keep this secret from anyone, no one will know about it.”

“Two junior high school students were attacked last year! And now, this! Why are you adding more work for me, Kenichi??”

“Look, I’m sorry. I never intend to cause more trouble. The girl probably made one of my men angry and that’s why they attacked her-“

“You are expecting me to use this excuse?? If you didn’t bring your men along in this school, this would not happen!”

“I’m trying to help you! Do you really think I want this to happen? The girl is my former housekeeper’s granddaughter and I’m worried about her too!”

“Oh, really? Are you worried or are you afraid that your brother finds out about her attacker??”

Someone was knocking the principal’s office door and the deputy headmistress opened it to tell him that he had a visitor. Both Kenichi and the principal were shocked to see Nori entering the office with a smirk on his face. The deputy headmistress left the office, leaving the three of them in an uncomfortable situation.

“Good day, everyone. It looks like both of you have a heated conversation. What is it about?”

“Nori, a second-year female student was attacked,” Kenichi answered. “It appears that...she’s the one has that ‘treasure’ in her hands.”

“Oh, is that so?” Nori clapped his hands once. “I guess our work in this school is done.”

“Done?? You’ve done more damage just for your stupid treasure!” the principal snapped. “Why can’t you settle it peacefully?!”

“It’s not just a treasure!” Kenichi quickly added. “It’s more than just a treasure and we need to retrieve it!”

“You know, I have enough with this!” the principal stood up and he was about to open the door. “I’m going to explain everything to the police!”

“Wait-“

“Are you sure you want to do that?”

Nori spoke out and he had his amused look on his face. The principal slowly turned to look at him and he was still frowning.

"You and Kenichi had been friends for a long time. A promising student with excellent results in major examinations and being the most promising senior high school principal for almost four years. It’s no wonder the teachers and parents highly respected you. However, you have a secret. A secret that will ruin your career.”

“…what are you talking about? You don’t know anything about me.”

“Maybe a little. It seems that you are struggling with your family’s financial issues and you badly wanted to send your children to the best school in Japan. So, you spent almost all the school funds to pay your children’s school fees. For the past five years.”

“H…how…did you…”

The principal’s face went white and he furiously turned to look at Kenichi.

“You told him, right? You are the only one who knows this secret!”

“Don’t worry,” Nori laughed lightly. “Kenichi would not betray you. I happened to check your background and I’m pretty amazed that someone like you would commit this act.”

“...what do you want from me?”

“Simple. Tell the police and the victim’s guardian that it was an unfortunate accident. At least the public would complain about your negligence towards the school’s bad structure rather than freely letting a bunch of dangerous men attacking a student. I’m sure that you are willing to do anything to protect you and the school’s reputation.”

“Well, I...”

“You need help? Sure. Kenichi will help you to be the witness. Because he is your good friend, right?”

Kenichi knew that the principal was glaring at him. He cleared his throat before he spoke.

“Part of it is my fault, so I’ll help you.”

* * *

Mayuko did not want to waste more time as she did not want Ren to know why was she taking a long time to use the washroom. She told Kei everything that she deserved to know.

“I am truly honest with what I said before. No matter who wins, we will support each other. I would be happy if you won the talent show. However, days before the competition, my father was beaten by a group of gangsters in my house for failing to pay his huge debt. They nearly want to slice his fingers until he decided to sell me to their boss.”

“He what??”

“Yes, he did but their boss suggested that if I become a superstar, the money I earn will be deducted from his debts. I refused but my mother begged me to save my father. It was difficult for me. That is why...I have to sabotage your performance so that I could win easily.”

Kei was stunned and she could not believe that Mayuko went through a difficult situation.

“I’ve always wanted to be a superstar by working hard to achieve my dream, not by cheating. I have never been happy with who I am right now.”

“...I don’t know what to say. I thought you are annoyed with me saying mean things about you. I thought you hate me too that you decided to send someone to attack me.”

“W-what?? I...I never hate you. I understand if you talk bad about me but...I would never send someone to attack you or any other haters!”

“You...didn’t?”

“I swear, I didn’t do that-!" Mayuko stopped talking for a while and she frowned. "Damn it, did he...?"

"Did he? Who are you talking about?"

"He once sent some men to deal with my haters and I told him not to do it. I can't believe he did it again."

“...I see. That explains everything. Thank you for telling me. You need to go now or your bodyguard would be worried about you.”

“Do...do you forgive me?”

“Of course I forgive you. I’m the one being too silly for all my stupid tantrums. Now, hurry up. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

“Hey, Kei. If one day I quit my job as a superstar, would you please make some cream puffs for me to celebrate my freedom?”

“Sure. I’ll make lots of them. Just go already. You are wasting lots of time.”

Mayuko had the feeling that Kei was not comfortable but she had the point. Ren would know that she had been telling the secret about his boss. She gave a small smile before she quickly left the washroom. Kei only watched her leave and she turned to look at the mirror.

Her eyes were filled with tears and she finally allowed them to roll on her cheeks. She could hear one of the toilet cubicle doors opened and another female student appeared, standing beside her.

“Are you alright, senior?” Aratani asked with concern.

“...I feel terrible. I...I never knew that...she had been...”

“I heard everything and I was shocked as well.”

“...if...if only I knew, then...I wouldn’t have...hated her so much...”

“You told her to leave because you don’t want her to see your sad face. All because you are ashamed of yourself.”

“...you’re right.”

“I won’t tell anyone about her true story.”

“Thank you, Hasegawa. Thank you...”

* * *

The deputy headmistress did not hesitate to call Ryoko to come over and treat Hatsuka in the school’s infirmary. Ryoko managed to stop the bleeding but due to a serious injury, she sternly told the deputy headmistress that she should be sent to the hospital for further treatment. While giving some time for Mrs Tanaka and Satoshi to watch Hatsuka, Ryoko left and she saw Ietsuna standing beside the infirmary with his grim look.

“You don’t have to worry, Ietsuna. She’s safe for now. Let the other doctors in the hospital check her condition.”

“If only I knew...”

“This is not your fault. No one expecting this to happen.”

“Takeo’s cousins were attacked and now it’s Hatsuka. I don’t understand why would the attacker want to hurt her. She...she would not make anyone angry.”

“It could be an accident. How can you be sure that she’s been attacked?”

“It’s not an accident! I can tell that she’s been attacked!”

Ietsuna gritted his teeth and he was frustrated. His knees fell on the ground and gripped his hair tightly. He felt hopeless after seeing Hatsuka’s condition earlier and he was uncertain if anyone else would have the same fate as her. Ryoko knelt and she gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Ietsuna. I understand your frustration since she’s an important person in your life. If you go on like this, you won’t be able to plan what you should do to help her.”

“Help her?”

“The principal strongly believes that she got hit with a brick from the upper floor of the school block. But after I treated her wound, I don’t think it is an accident. Just as you said, she was attacked.”

“How...how did you know?”

“If a brick hits her head, there should be some traces of brick on her wound. I find nothing except some wood splinters. The condition of her wound tells me that she was hit with something blunt.”

“Something blunt? What could it be?”

“Unless I’m working as a detective, I can’t figure out what is used to hit her head. The attacker might get rid of the weapon after attacking Hatsuka. And also, I found these in her right hand.”

Ryoko took out a napkin and she unfolded it to show Ietsuna some white-red rock sweets. His eyes blinked several times with confusion until he realised what were those.

“These...these are konpeito.”

“Konpeito?”

“I received a bottle of white-red konpeito from senior Ikehara and I’ve been keeping it in my school bag until Hatsuka asked me if I have any sweets for her to keep herself energised. I was busy and I told her to check my bag. She already took the konpeito bottle before leaving the Cooking Club room.”

“I see. The strange thing is that there is no bottle anywhere after she was attacked. Only these few sweets in her hand.”

“Did she eat it?”

“No. There’s nothing in her mouth.”

“Maybe she was about to eat it before she was attacked.”

“That could be it. It’s understandable if the attacker wants to get rid of the weapon but the konpeito bottle is nowhere to be found. Don’t you find it strange?”

Ietsuna was about to reply when the head of the student’s council came to tell her that the ambulance had arrived. Ryoko nodded and she secretly passed the napkin to Ietsuna.

“Keep this and find Hatsuka’s attacker,” Ryoko whispered.

“...why?”

“I don’t trust the principal. If I told him about these rock sweets, he would throw it away.”

She stood up and she went back to the infirmary. Ietsuna only watched her and he looked at the napkin again. Was Hatsuka trying to tell him the identity of her attacker?

****_“I heard rumours that boss number two is a good friend of the principal from senior high school.”_ ** **

Hatanaka’s words came across his mind. He hated to admit but he felt that the principal was hiding something from everyone in the school.

“Oi, Sawada!”

Ietsuna turned his head and he saw Sakaguchi running towards him. He quickly stood up and put the napkin in his pocket.

“What is it, Sakaguchi?”

“Your father is waiting in the Cooking Club room. The president and the members have been looking for you everywhere.”

“Oh...really?”

“Geez, where have you been? Your father is quite worried and he’s about to look for you until I tell him that I’ll go and find you. What are you doing here at this infirmary? Are you sick?”

“S-sorry, I...I’m not sick. Hatsuka is...”

“Why? Is she sick?”

“No, she...she’s injured. Something hit her head from above the school block.”

“What? She’s the one??” Sakaguchi exclaimed with shock. “I heard from the principal that a student was involved in an unfortunate accident!”

“He said that?”

“Yes. He announced it right after the guests left the school. Is...is she alright?”

“Doctor Takahashi managed to stop the bleeding before she's taken to the hospital. I hope she's safe.”

“…Sawada, I’m sure she will be safe.”

“…you think so?”

“I don’t interact much with her but she’s a kind person. Just don’t lose hope.”

“…thank you, Sakaguchi.”

The other clapped his back and both of them went back to see his father. Ietsuna was dreading to tell his father about Hatsuka.

He would try to find out who attacked her without mercy. 


	55. grim

Mrs Tanaka was devastated after hearing her granddaughter involved in an unfortunate accident in school. Katsuya immediately called Hanako and her parents to come over and see Hatsuka. Yoshinobu and Ietsuna could not stop thinking about Hatsuka's fate as they heard from the doctor that the injury might cause her to suffer memory loss.

Ietsuna was praying that she would recover safely. He did not want her to forget about him and her family.

Although the guests were satisfied after attending the school carnival, some teachers and students, especially the student council could not stop thinking about Hatsuka. Rumours were circulating the school that the school gardener was fired by the principal for his negligence that caused Hatsuka to get hit by a brick.

“...I would like to address my concern towards the students and teachers' safety as I do not wish for the same tragedy to happen again in the future. Therefore, students are not allowed to linger around the workshop block to not disrupt the maintenance work...”

The principal gave a speech in the morning assembly and some students were yawning, feeling bored. Ietsuna had been observing the principal's expression and behaviour from the moment he started to give his speech. Though he was calm, the blond boy could notice the conflicted look from the principal's eyes.

Ryoko told him that he was hiding something and she could not trust him. She wanted her nephew to find Hatsuka's attacker.

Where would he want to start? He was not allowed to go to the workshop block due to maintenance work. If he went there, the teachers or the principal would question him.

“Uh, Sawada? How long are you going to continue whipping the egg whites?”

Ietsuna blinked and he started at the stainless steel bowl filled with egg whites that already became stiff peaks. He quickly placed the bowl down and he bowed at Sugihara.

“I’m sorry, president Sugihara. I...I was not paying attention...”

“Are you worried about Hatsuka?”

“...yes. I just could not believe that she would...”

“She would?”

“...I just want her to be safe. I mean, she's like a sister to me.”

“Everyone is worried about her too but I believe that she doesn’t want you to see you like this.”

“...I know.”

“Don’t give up your hope, Sawada. The student council members are folding lots of paper cranes, wishing a speedy recovery for their friend.”

Ietsuna could only give a small smile and Sugihara lightly clapped his back.

“Though I was surprised that the principal would fire our school gardener. He’s been here for many years and he was very dedicated to his work. He would never be that careless.”

“I agree but maybe he's getting old and he should be retired from his job.”

“Or I would rather say that the school building is already old and some parts of it are considered unsafe for the students to pass by. I guess luck is not at her side.”

Sugihara only smiled at him and soon left to see other member's progress. Ietsuna let out a small sigh and he began to work on other ingredients to bake castella cake.

It was almost late evening and Ietsuna quickly packed his bag before leaving the classroom. He could not make it to visit Hatsuka and he decided to see her in the next few days.

He was reaching the school gate when he saw a bespectacled red-haired boy with brown eyes, circling outside the school with his nervous look. He was wearing the same black gakuran uniform but Ietsuna did not remember seeing this boy before. He approached and he asked him with his concerned look.

“Um, excuse me? Is there something wrong?”

The boy flinched with shock and he quickly bowed while apologising.

“S-sorry! I didn’t mean to trespass your school area! I...I'm just wondering if I can come in to retrieve my item!”

“You are...not from this school?”

“Ah, no. I'm from Ajisai Junior High School- Wait, sorry. I'm a third-year exchange student from Namimori Middle School.”

“An exchange student from Namimori Middle School?” Ietsuna blinked with surprise. “That explains why I didn’t see you before. But, why would you want to retrieve your item from this senior high school?”

“My classmates made fun of me by placing my item in this school,” the boy explained. “They told me that if I could do it without anyone noticing me around, they would accept me as their friend.”

“How could they do this to you?” Ietsuna frowned. “That is the most awful way to make new friends.”

“I guess…that is how they treat a nerd student like me,” the boy only gave a small smile.

“It’s getting late, let me help you to look for your item.”

“Oh, no, it’s alright. I’ll go and find it-“

“I insist. Did they tell you where did they hide your item?”

“Uh, they told me that they hid it somewhere in this school’s workshop block.”

The blond boy was stunned when he heard his answer. How were they able to enter the workshop block area that was closed for maintenance work?

“Is there something wrong?”

“…it’s nothing. Let’s go and look for your item as quick as possible.

“Alright. Thank you so much, uh…”

“I’m Sawada Ietsuna. A first-year student in senior high school.”

“Nice to meet you, senior Sawada. I’m Fukada Hideaki.”

“So, you said that you are an exchange student? I didn’t know that junior high school is organising a student exchange program.”

“Almost all the middle schools are involved with this program since this is one of the department of education’s plan. There are three students including me from my school were chosen for this program and here I am.”

“That sounds like a good experience. Though, I’m sorry that you have to deal with those who made fun of you.”

“Oh, it’s alright. At least better than meeting the ones who treat you like a punchbag.”

“I still don’t agree with their actions. Anyway, what is that item they hide from you, Fukada?”

“Just call me Hideaki, I’m feeling awkward if you call me by my family name.”

“Sorry, Hideaki.”

“Well, it is an airplane model. The Engineering Club members from Ajisai Junior High School and I are working hard to build it. Just another few more modifications and it’s ready to fly.”

“Eh?” Ietsuna’s eyes widened with surprise. “Really?”

“Yes! We already tested it many times and we hope this will be a success!”

“Great, I can’t wait to see it!”

Ietsuna was walking towards the workshop block with Hideaki following him from behind. As there were no one around, both of them took this opportunity to look for Hideaki’s airplane model. Ietsuna hardly had a chance to enter the school workshop and he was amazed to see many woodworking projects done by the students.

It felt like he was entering a woodworking shop. There were candle stands, small shelves, small cars and trains, clocks and other things that were made with woods. Each of them had a student’s name engraved on it along with a year they made it.

What caught his attention in sudden was the name Hibari Satoshi engraved on a small hand crank wooden music box. He would never want to touch people’s things without their permission but his curiosity grew stronger. He carefully picked up the music box and he gently turned the crank with his fingers.

A song was played when he started to turn the crank from the music box. It was soft and soothing to hear. He had been listening and he felt like he heard this song before.

Where did he hear it?

“Hey, senior Sawada! I’ve found it!”

Ietsuna flinched and he placed back the music box before he turned around to see Hideaki. The red-haired boy was smiling while his hands were carrying an airplane model.

“You finally found it?”

“Yes! It’s just on the table with all the unfinished woodworking projects. Thankfully it’s safe.”

“Uh, wouldn’t that be heavy to fly since there are some parts that are made of steel?”

“It’s good to fly. Here, try to carry it.”

Hideaki handed the airplane model to Ietsuna and he was being careful to not breaking any parts of it. The airplane model was surprisingly light despite its materials.

“It’s so…light.”

“Right? We’ve chosen the perfect material for this airplane model and we are sure that it will fly after many failed attempts.”

“I would love to see it. We better leave school now before the teachers found us.”

Hideaki nodded his head and they quickly left the workshop. They were reaching the school gate when Ietsuna heard someone talking in the washroom. He would ignore it when one of them mentioned the school gardener. After making sure that Hideaki already walked out from the school, he quietly approached and stood beside the locked washroom door. He could hear the principal’s voice talking to another man.

“…what do you want from me this time, Kenichi?”

“You don’t have to talk harshly to me. I’m here to see if everything is alright.”

“Because of your men attacking a student, I have to fire the school’s best gardener!”

“So, what about it? He’s getting old and he should think of his retirement.”

“Almost everyone is glaring at him for the mistake he never did! What would you feel if people blame you for the wrongdoing you’ve never committed?!”

“Listen here. It’s either him to be the scapegoat or you will lose your job if anyone knows about your secret.”

“…I don’t understand. Why…why would you want to do all this? Don’t you realise that the girl’s life is at stake?”

“The same reason why you would spend all the school funds for your children’s private school fees. You do it for your children. I do it for my future.”

“Your future? What do you mean by that?”

“You will understand once I get back what it's truly mine.”

The blond boy tightened his fists with anger. For the sake of their selfish intention, more people became the victim. He wanted to barge into the washroom and forced them to surrender but he stopped himself from doing so. He did not have enough evidence and he needed to know why Hatsuka was attacked.

He did not want to stay longer as he did not want to risk himself getting caught by the principal and the other man named Kenichi.

* * *

****_“Satoshi, what are you doing?”_ ** **

He thought that he could hide if from his childhood friend. He swore that he would find his mother's killer and had them pay for taking away his mother's life. His father was too busy handling the yakuza business and he wanted his father's right-hand man, Suguru to teach him how to fight. He grew stronger and many years passed, he managed to track down some former yakuza members who were involved with his mother's death.

They refused to say anything, so he had to beat them without mercy. He felt like the world had stop spinning when Hatsuka saw him torturing some former yakuza members. He did stop and he simply walked away as if nothing had happened.

Hatsuka took his arm and dragged him to the school workshop, demanding him to tell her why he tortured people.

****_“This is none of your business, Hatsuka. You should not get involved.”_ ** **

****_“You would not hurt an ant! Why did you do all this? You are not telling me that you did it for your mother's death??”_ ** **

****_“And what if it is?”_ ** **

****_“Stop all these madness, Satoshi! Your mother would not be happy to see you like this! She always wanted you to live happily with your father!”_ ** **

****_“The man who does not do anything to find out who killed his wife?”_ ** **

****_“That’s because he's busy-“_ ** **

****_“So, he decided to have his right-hand man to be my temporary father? Hell, even Suguru is a better father than he is.”_ ** **

****_“You can’t say that to your father! He is as devastated as you are after losing his beloved wife!”_ ** **

****_“...enough.”_ ** **

****_“Your mother protected you although she was dying! Are you going to waste her love and sacrifice she gave you??”_ ** **

****_“Enough!!”_ ** **

Enraged, he took something on the table and threw across the room. Hatsuka immediately went silent and her eyes were glancing at something that he threw. The music box was broken into pieces and she knelt to pick them up. Satoshi felt horrible after what he had done.

He destroyed Hatsuka's wooden music box. It was a woodworking project where she spent lots of time completing it.

She slowly stood up and she was still looking at her broken pieces. She cried silently.

****_“...Hatsuka, I...”_ ** **

****_“...you are always busy. Is this what you’ve been doing? Punching and kicking people?”_ ** **

****_“...”_ ** **

****_“I understand. Do whatever you want. I'm sorry for bothering you.”_ ** **

She did not look at him and she left the workshop. He never thought that he would treat her badly.

They did not talk for several weeks and he was in the hospital room, sitting and watching Hatsuka lying on the bed with white bandages wrapped around her head. She did not show any signs of waking up. He held out his hand to touch her hand.

He simply let the tears rolled down on his cheeks.

First, he lost his mother. Now, he was about to lose his precious childhood friend.

Was this a curse of solitude? 


	56. culprit

The office hours unexpectedly ended an hour earlier than usual and the staffs began to pack their things. Some of the staffs had been inviting Yoshinobu for a drink but he politely declined their invitation, stating that he needed to go home as his son was waiting for him. They only watched him leaving the office before they started to talk to each other.

“Man, this is the third time he declines our invitation.”

“He's been working so hard for years and I thought he could give some time for himself to rest.”

“He's a single parent. He’s lucky to have a child who cooks for him. Didn’t you see his lunchbox? The food looks so good.”

“Yes! His son is such a good cook compared to my wife, to be honest.”

“Hey, you better not letting your wife know about it or else she would kick you out from the house.”

“You know, when he first came to this office, I used to think that he was a yakuza member because of the scar across his left eye.”

“Me too. I would not want to get too close to him. But now, he's different from what we expected.”

“And he is always all on his own. He refuses to befriend with anyone. The only friend he has is that head of Hibari Clan.”

“Some of us here are assuming that he’s proud to be a good friend of the famous clan's head.”

“Nah, I think he’s a humble man. He's-“

“Excuse me, why are you still around here?”

The remaining staffs flinched and they apologised to their manager, Kurosawa Shigeru before the left to go for a drink. He sighed and he was somewhat relieved that some of the staffs began to interact with Yoshinobu.

The older Sawada meanwhile was on his way to Katsuya's house instead of returning home. He was standing in front of the main door and he knocked on the door as loudly as he could. A young female servant opened the door and she gave her a curious look at him.

“Yes, how may I help you?”

“Good evening. I am here to see Hibari Katsuya. Is he around?”

“Master Katsuya is in his room. May I know who are you?”

“I am Sawada Yoshinobu, his old friend.”

The young female servant was a little reluctant but when the other servant saw him from outside, she quickly invited him inside (“I’m so sorry, Mr Sawada. She's new here and she hardly knows who you are.”) and bringing him to Katsuya's room.

While they walked, Kenichi's second wife was carrying her crying baby and there was an annoyed look on her face. Yoshinobu gave a short bow to her but she did not pay attention to him, muttering on her own. He did glance at the crying baby and he felt something was off.

“We are here, Mr Sawada.”

The other female servant called out for Katsuya to tell him that he had a visitor. Once he knew who it was, he slid the door open and he smiled, inviting Yoshinobu to his room. The female servant soon left to get some tea.

“I did not expect to see you here, Shin. How are you doing?”

“I'm doing fine. What about you, Katsuya?”

“I’m doing fine as well. I just need to do some work and I'm done.”

“You haven’t been resting, aren't you?”

“I...I did-“

“Your face is telling me otherwise. People who take enough rest would not look like they have been starving for a week.”

“...you sound a lot like Suguru. Only that, you are harsher.”

“How long have you known me?”

“Alright, why are you coming over? Are you concerned about Mrs Tanaka's granddaughter?”

“I do concern about her granddaughter but I’m here for a different reason.”

“And what would it be?”

“It’s about the gang fight that happened before my grandfather’s death, Amaya and Noriaki.”

Katsuya’s look darkened as soon Yoshinobu mentioned Noriaki’s name. He had been hiding lots of things from him mainly because he did not want him and his family to get involved with the yakuza business.

“Why do you want to know about it?”

“Because Amaya promised that she will tell me the truth. She was the one who forced me to go back and see my dying grandfather.”

“She was?”

“If it wasn’t because of her, I would still be fighting in the gang fight.”

“…It’s not like I want to hide everything from you, Shin. You have been suffering after losing your family members and you have to raise your son alone. I just want to find the right time to tell you everything.”

“Thanks for your concern about me but I am well prepared to know the truth, Katsuya.”

* * *

It was colder than usual as the winter was approaching. The third-year students were getting busy with their preparation for the final semester tests. Since they were about to graduate, the president from each of the clubs were having a meeting to decide who would be the new president and vice president. The Cooking Club members were feeling gloomy when they realised that Sugihara and some third-years would leave the school during the spring season.

After the meeting, the members began to wash the cooking utensils and Ietsuna noticed that Ikehara Kei was staring at an envelope with her uncertain look.

“What is the matter, senior Ikehara?”

Kei blinked her eyes and she was looking at Ietsuna, placing the envelope on the table.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I just received a letter from the deputy headmistress.”

“A letter?”

“Yes. It’s an offer to study in France. The officers from the department of education were satisfied with the dessert we made during the school carnival. She told me that I should not waste my talent and one of the officers decided to give a scholarship for me to pursue my studies in France.”

“That's good news! But, why are you worrying about?”

“I’ll be all on my own. If I accept this offer, then I have to leave my family behind. And I’m not sure if I could get used to it, staying in a foreign country for a few years.”

Kei's eyes were fixed at Ietsuna's heterochromia eyes and he grew nervous of the way she looked at him.

“Sawada, do you have a family member who came from another country?”

“Uh, yes. My great-grandpa is a European man.”

“Which country he came from?”

“I don’t know. I mean, I heard that he’s from France or Switzerland and he came to Japan because he loves the country’s culture.”

“Is that so? Sorry for asking. I'm just curious because people with blond or any other hair colour aside from black or dark brown are most likely to have a family member marrying a non-Japanese. Besides, I thought if I could ask you to teach me how to speak in the French language.”

“Ah, well...” Ietsuna smiled awkwardly. “Unfortunately, I can’t speak any foreign languages. I never have a chance to see my great-grandpa and my father can't speak any of it.”

Despite not exposed to any foreign languages, Ietsuna was surprised that he could read any Italian words fluently such as the words that were engraved in Giotto's gold pocket watch. Still, he could not tell Kei that his great-grandfather was an Italian to protect his family's identity.

“At least your hard work finally paid off. You get to further your studies overseas and maybe one day, you will open your own cake shop in Namimori.”

“A cake shop?”

“Yes. I’m sure everyone would like to try your cakes and desserts. Didn’t you see the guests’ faces when they tried our osechi dessert?”

“Easy for you to say,” Kei sighed. “It's hard to open a shop due to the economic situation in this country.”

“I know but by the time you return to Japan, it should be better than now, right?”

“Fine. If I successfully open my own cake shop, you must come over as my special guest.”

“Eh??” Ietsuna exclaimed with shock. “Why am I a special guest??”

“If...if it's not because of you, I would continue to hate Sonoda Mayuko,” Kei muttered. “And I would forever stick at my hopeless dream as a superstar.”

“You finally talked to her?”

“She's the one who approached me but I gave her a chance to explain. You are right about her. She was not in an uncomfortable situation when she betrayed me. She was forced to be a superstar because of her father's huge debt.”

“Seriously?”

“If only I knew, I wouldn’t have...being so mean to her.”

“Senior Ikehara, you don’t need to blame yourself. Isn’t great that you finally get to talk to her?”

“I guess you are right. Anyway, we need to clean these up quickly.”

Ietsuna nodded his head and he started to keep all the bowls in the cupboard. He soon remembered something important and he turned to look at Kei.

“Senior Ikehara, I need to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“Where did you buy that white-red konpeito? The one you gave me as thanks for saving your life.”

“Oh, that one? I bought it from Momo's Confectionery Shop. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just want to know because I want to buy one for Hatsuka. I'm going to visit her when I’m free.”

“I see. Is she alright? I heard about the accident befell her.”

“No signs of waking up but she's in stable condition. And thank you for telling me.”

“You’re welcome. I wish for her speedy recovery.”

The blond boy smiled and right after the Cooking Club members were done cleaning, Ietsuna went back to his classroom to get his bag. Without wasting more time, he walked out of school and he soon arrived at the confectionery shop. Students were crowding at one spot of the shop to see new sweets and desserts to welcome the winter season’s arrival.

He only wanted to look for the white-red konpeito and all he found was either a rainbow coloured or single coloured konpeito. He assumed that it was out of stock but his mind was telling him otherwise. He was unsure if he would continue to trust his own intuition because he did not have enough evidence and he could be wrong about it.

He just wanted to find Hatsuka’s attacker so that no one would be the next victim.

“Hey, Ietsuna. What brings you here?”

He turned around and he saw Shiro standing near the counter. His face looked pale and a little sunken and Ietsuna was quite worried to see his condition.

“Uncle Shiro, are you alright? Have you been working too hard recently?”

“Oh, I’m fine. I couldn’t sleep well as I’m worried about…about my sick grandmother.”

“Is she alright?”

“She’s in stable condition but due to her long-term illness, she might leave me one day. She’s the only family I have.”

“I see. Uncle Shiro, you have been a good person. I’m sure she will be fine.”

The man suddenly gave his pained look and he was trying to give his convincing smile.

“You…think so?”

“Yes. Oh, by the way, I want to ask you something. Does this shop sell a bottle of konpeito with only white and red in colour?”

Shiro froze with horror and his hand quickly grabbed his shoulder tightly, much to Ietsuna’s shock.

“…uncle Shiro, what’s wrong?”

“…how did know about that thing?” Shiro whispered with his low tone.

“That thing? You mean…that konpeito-“

“Yes! How on earth did you know about it??”

“Argh, it hurts!”

Ietsuna quickly pulled his hand away from his shoulder and he stood away from him. Shiro’s expression had changed and the blond boy knew something was bad. He did not wait for him to speak and the only thing he could do was to run back to his house.

He was almost convinced that he managed to run as far as he could when he felt his intuition screaming in his mind. He glanced behind and he saw Shiro holding something at his hands.

Something that would directly hit his head and he did not have time to dodge it.

Ietsuna had to use his school bag as his shield and although he could protect his head, the hit was unexpectedly strong that he ended up falling on the ground. Shiro was breathing heavily and his face looked like he wanted to strangle someone to death.

“I never want to do this. I never want to. But…I have no choice.”

“Uncle Shiro…what are you trying to say?”

“…I am the one who attacked Hatsuka.”


	57. treachery

It was a dream. He dreamt that Shiro would confess that he was the one who attacked Hatsuka. It could not be him. Because he was a kind man. He was kind to everyone including Hatsuka and Hanako. Once he opened his eyes, he would find himself sleeping on his bed.

He blinked his eyes many times but he would not wake up. Because it was not a dream.

"Uncle Shiro...why...why would you do that?"

"I...I told you...I have no choice. I...I have to..."

Ietsuna's eyes were fixed at Shiro's distraught face, then it went to a piece of long wood with some dried blood on it. He remembered what Ryoko had told him about Hatsuka's wound.

There were no traces of brick. Only some wood splinters.

He never felt so angry in his life. Even much angrier than the last time he argued with Dohachiro Goro.

When Shiro attempted to attack Ietsuna, the blond boy ran towards him and he punched straight to his stomach. He did not give him any chance to move as he broke Shiro's balance by pulling him forward and spun around on his right foot with his back against him before he then lowered his right shoulder and threw Shiro over his shoulder.

The man groaned with pain and he was alarmed to see Ietsuna's glowing eyes. The eyes were fierce bright orange. Ietsuna grabbed him from his shirt collar and the stare was enough to make Shiro shivered with fear.

"Why did you attack Hatsuka?" Ietsuna spoke and his voice was lower than usual.

"I...I'm sorry. I...I have no choice-"

"What do you mean, you have no choice?"

"I...I have the reason to do that. I don't want to hurt her either-"

"Then why did you do it?! What kind of reason that allows you to hurt her?!"

"Please, listen to me....I..."

Ietsuna was overwhelmed with anger and all he could think was to hurt him just like he hurt Hatsuka. His grip at Shiro's shirt collar loosened when someone else was pulling him from behind. The blond boy turned around and he was stunned to see Satoshi.

"Calm down. You need to listen to what he wants to say."

"But, he-"

"I would love to punch him for what he has done but we need to know his reason."

"S...Sato-kun...I..."

"If I am not satisfied with your explanation, I will not hesitate to crush your head."

Shiro gulped nervously and he was in his kneeling position. Ietsuna felt a little dizzy and he placed his hand on his head to try to stop the dizziness. He was sure that he was not sick. Or not even having a motion sickness as he never travelled by train or ship.

Why he was feeling quite unwell in sudden?

"Now, speak."

Satoshi ordered and Ietsuna was looking at Shiro, who seemed to try to find the right word to start talking. He did not want to end up as Satoshi's punching dummy.

"I...I was looking for any female student who bought that white-red konpeito from the confectionery shop. Under my boss's order, I must get it back no matter what happens. While I was searching, I...I saw Hatsuka near the workshop block. She was all on her own and she saw me. We only talked for a while and...that's when I saw her holding a bottle of white-red konpeito. I...I was horrified. I don't know why she had it in the first place."

"That's because she took it from my school bag," Ietsuna added. "She said that she wanted to eat some sweets to keep herself energised."

"You have it??" Shiro was alarmed. "How did you get it??"

"My senior gave it to me as thanks for saving her life."

"Did...did you eat it?"

"No. I have been busy with the school carnival preparation and I only remembered that I had it when Hatsuka asked for sweets."

"...thank goodness."

"What do you mean by that?" Satoshi asked coldly.

"I-I tried to stop her from eating it but she refused to listen to me. So, when she was trying to open the bottle cap, I...I took that chance to hit her head."

"Hatsuka's hand had some white-red konpeito in it," Ietsuna frowned. "She was trying to tell something important before she passed out. And you seemed to look desperate to stop her from eating that konpeito. Why is that?"

"T-those are not konpeito..." Shiro's voice trembled. "Those are poisonous drugs..."

"Poisonous drugs?" Satoshi's eyes narrowed. "How did you know?"

"I...I heard it from my boss's supplier. It's a dangerous drug that killed thousands of mafia members in Italy. His supplier recreated that drug to flourish my boss's business-"

"That's insane!" Ietsuna snapped. "Why your boss wanted to sell something dangerous to the customers??"

"I...I have no idea why..."

"This is for the sake of my future."

The three of them immediately looked at the owner of the voice. Kenichi appeared along with another brown-haired man, Nori and his a few numbers of followers. Shiro's face was paler than before while Ietsuna and Satoshi were tensed up when they looked at them.

"I did not expect to see you here, Satoshi," Kenichi spoke coldly. "Aren't you supposed to be at home at this hour? Or perhaps, you want to lash out at someone without your father's knowledge?"

"Don't act like you have nothing to do with this," Satoshi glared at the older man. "What does this drug have to do with your future?"

"Poor boy. You seem to not notice what happened to our clan. Ever since your father took over as the head of the clan, conflicts were happening inside the house. Not everyone wants him to be the new head but they could not do anything as this was the former head's final decision. What was that old man thinking? Choosing a new head with a kind heart? No wonder the power of our clan is declining."

Satoshi was about to attack him with his jitte and Ietsuna was quick to grab his arm.

"I'll tear your mouth apart if you say something bad about him," Satoshi hissed.

"You start to care about him? I thought you hate him because he was the one who caused your mother's death. Frankly, it's his fault that his precious wife died."

"You-!"

"Stop it, Satoshi!" Ietsuna pulled his arm.

"So, these boys are the sons of someone I knew," Nori smirked wider. "Satoshi, Katsuya's son. Ietsuna, Shin's son. My, you don't even look like your father. Blond hair and two-coloured eyes. Are you his adopted child?"

Ietsuna frowned at that man. It had been long and Nori was the second person to insult him by saying he was his father's adoptive child.

"Ahaha! I am so sorry for hurting your feelings but honestly, you don't resemble either your father or your dead mother. Anyway, I do not want to waste more time standing here. What should I do with both of you?"

"Please!" Shiro shouted at Kenichi and Nori. "Please let them go! They have nothing to do with this!"

"Did someone just hit your head, Shiro?" Nori sneered. "I won't let go of anyone who knows about my miracle drug. Moreover, I need both of their 'help'."

"Nori, what are you trying to do?" Kenichi whispered quickly.

"Don't you want to 'destroy' Katsuya badly? Why don't we take this chance to kill his only son? This is the easiest way for you to take over the clan."

"Nori, you-!"

"Traitor."

Kenichi slowly turned to look at Satoshi and the boy was pushing Ietsuna away. He was prepared to attack someone who betrayed the Hibari Clan.

"You cooperate with someone else to overthrow my father. Overthrowing the current head of the clan, who happens to be your own brother. This is unforgivable."

Satoshi ran towards Kenichi and Nori ordered his followers to capture both of the boys. Ietsuna was trying his best to defeat them but they were much stronger and he was struggling to activate his flame.

_"Please! I need to defeat them! Why won't you help me just like the day you helped me? Why? Tell me why! What should I do?!"_

Ietsuna was way too preoccupied when one of Nori's followers struck his stomach with a single punch. His eyes widened and he gasped in pain. He fell on the ground and he went unconscious. Satoshi noticed it and he was shocked to see the blond boy on the ground. Nori then took the wood from Shiro's hand and he used it to struck Satoshi's head. The sudden attack left him unconscious and Nori cackled with laughter. Shiro watched with horror and Kenichi had been speechless, unable to do anything.

Nori cracked his knuckles loudly and he turned to face his followers.

"Please help me to take these boys back to our headquarters. I can't wait to see their father's reactions."

* * *

Ever since he was young, he was excited to see a group of young students learning Chinese martial arts in the temple. His uncle, along with his aunt and his younger cousins were attending a grand event that was held in the temple near their house. He watched the young students going through tough training and without him knowing, he recited loudly and followed every single martial art steps. The martial arts master clapped his hands and he smiled with amusement, causing the boy to stop with embarrassment. His uncle knew that he wanted to learn martial arts and asked if the master could take him as his student. The master sternly told him that the process of training was difficult and to be his student, he needed to pass a simple test. The boy successfully passed the test and the master did not hesitate further to train him. He could see great potential coming from a determined boy.

Even at home, the boy, who had just reached at the age of thirteen was continuing his martial arts training. His goal was to be the greatest martial arts champion.

"風, 來吃晚飯 (Feng, come and have dinner)!"

"好吧, 我来了(Alright, I'm coming)!"

His aunt called out for him and he eventually stopped his training. His younger cousins came out to bring him in as they giggled excitedly. He only chuckled to see them and they washed their hands together before he helped his aunt to place the chopsticks, spoons and bowls of rice on the dining table.

"你看, 我煮你最喜歡的食物 (You see, I cook your favourite food)."

She carefully placed a plate of mapo tofu on the table along with other dishes and he was giving his grateful smile.

"謝謝, 婶婶 (Thank you, aunty)!"

She smiled warmly and after his uncle joined them, they started to eat their dinner.

Fon already knew about his own family. His uncle, Hibari Kouichi was his father's younger brother and he had been staying with him and his family right after he was born. He fully understood and he would not blame his father. The situation was uncontrollable, and he was sad to learn that a group of yakuza members killed his mother. His aunt had been so kind to him as she was sad to hear about his mother's passing. He also knew that he had an older brother and he was wondering how his brother looked like. He usually spoke Japanese with his uncle but since he had been living with his uncle's family for years, he was able to speak Chinese quite well.

After having dinner, his younger cousins were bringing all the bowls, plates, spoons and chopsticks to the sink, leaving only him and his uncle to drink some hot oolong tea.

"叔叔 (Uncle)?"

"Yes, Fon?"

"How do my father and my brother look like? Have you ever seen my mother?"

"Well, I am going to say that you and your brother look almost alike. Both of you have your mother's looks and your father's eyes. Your mother was a beautiful woman. I wished that I have a photo of them. It is difficult for me to describe their appearance."

"I am wondering when I can get to see my family. Are they alright?"

"Oh, yes, they are fine. Do you want to see them?"

"Of course I want to see them."

"Haha, I see," Kouichi chuckled. "I can bring you to see them but you need to wait for another few weeks. I still have some work to do."

"Please do take your time. I can wait until you are done."

"Thank you, Fon. When the day comes, you need to tell your master that you will be away to see your family."

"I will. 謝謝, 叔叔 (Thank you, uncle.)"

Fon was done drinking his tea and he left to take a bath. Kouichi only took a few sips of his tea and he would find a time to either write a letter to Katsuya or making a phone call.

He wondered if Satoshi would be happy to see his little brother. 


	58. realisation

“The Akui Clan was one of the famous clans in this district. I would say that the Akui Clan have their glorious years but this clan slowly met its downfall almost the end of the Meiji era. Noriaki’s father soon took over as the head of the Akui Clan and he promised that he would make the clan as strong as they used to be. Under his father’s rule, the Akui Clan was gaining their well-deserved recognition and more people started to acknowledge the clan’s existence. Back then, I was happy to hear that Noriaki’s family was doing well but my father was suspicious about it. He pretended to be the head of Akui Clan’s most trusted ally and found out that the clan had been secretly involved with drug trafficking. Noriaki’s father had been distributing a large number of illegal drugs to some sake shop owners and as a result, more people became drug addicts.”

“So, your father decided to report it to the authorities?”

“The number of drug addicts was increasing alarmingly and the authorities were trying to find the culprit. My father secretly left a note to tell them that the Akui Clan was responsible for it. Some sake shop owners were arrested and Noriaki’s father was panicking, begging my father and Kozue’s father (the head of Niwatori Clan) to help him escape from the authorities. My father forced me to end my friendship with Noriaki and after that, his whole family and the clan members were arrested. Noriaki knew that my father was the one who betrayed his father and he soon disappeared. We met again in high school and he was keeping his grudge against me and my father. He tried so hard to make sure that I would go through the same ordeal as he was.”

“You are saying that he was the one who attacked the head of the student council and their members and later framed you?”

“I didn’t know for first until Amaya told me the whole story. She said that she was uncomfortable with Noriaki’s actions but she could not stop him because he was her childhood friend who saved her from the bullies in the past. His plan to frame me had failed and he went on to organise a deadly gang fight. He sent a letter to me and had me and you to join the gang fight. I wanted to ignore it until he mentioned that he knew who was the one who attacked the student council members.”

“Yes, I remember that. There were many participants including Hatanaka Ryota. Both of us and Noriaki succeeded in the final round but Amaya forced me to withdraw from the gang fight.”

“That’s because…Noriaki was trying to poison you and it was his only way to frame me for your death if it happened.”

“He…he did??”

“Yes, but he was not going to do it on his own. He wanted Amaya to poison you so that no one would suspect him. She did not know what to do because first, she did not wish to hurt my best friend’s life. And secondly, she could not say no to her childhood friend. She never spoke to me and Reiko about it and she personally talked to you to solve her inner conflict. Instead of poisoning you, she forced you to return home and later revealed all of Noriaki’s evil plans to me. I figured that there was no hope to mend my friendship with him and I told Suguru to call the police. Noriaki and the rest of his gang members were arrested and I never heard of him ever since.”

“Crap, he was trying to kill me and he told me to join his clan?” Yoshinobu frowned and he tightened his fists. “Why am I such an idiot?”

“He told you to join his clan?” Katsuya raised his eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

“Noriaki was at Ietsuna’s school during the carnival. I immediately recognised him and he referred himself as Nori. I have no idea why he was at there.”

“He was released?? I mean, when? Why I didn’t hear about it-“ Katsuya stopped talking and he slapped his forehead hard. “Does that mean, it’s him all along…”

“What happened, Katsuya?”

“Shin, I initially thought that a lower rank mafia group from Italy came to Japan for a black-market business and they were trying to bring your father back to their country, thinking that he was one of the drug dealers. And recently, Suguru went back to question that Italian man named Sergio about the illegal drug that was distributed in Ajisai Senior High School years ago. It turned out that he and his followers went to Japan to hide from a powerful mafia boss in Italy and they were taken in by an unknown clan. As a gratitude, he shared his family’s drug recipe to that boss’s right-hand man and he was later thrown out. Sergio was furious and he wanted to kill that boss for betraying him. So, that right-hand man simply told him to go meet his boss with long brown hair tied in a small ponytail in Yamanashi Prefecture.”

“…how did you know it was Noriaki?”

“The right-hand man has a tattoo on his left arm. A crest that looks like a snakelike dragon with long horns. That crest belongs to the Akui Clan.”

Yoshinobu could not control his anger. His father could have been able to live much longer. If his father did not go back to get something important, he would not have been kidnapped and assaulted by an idiot man who blindly followed someone’s tricky instruction.

****_“I would like to give you another chance because you are a good friend. I can promise that you will have a brighter future in your life.”_ ** **

Yoshinobu could never forgive anyone who hurt his family. Even if it was his so-called good friend.

“For all these years, I was only his tool?”

“I told you before that he was only using you. You are not telling me that you still think of him as a friend?”

“After what he had done to my father?” Yoshinobu glared. “I can never forgive him.”

They were soon interrupted by a sound of loud footsteps coming from outside the room. Suguru slid the door loudly and his face was pale, indicating that something had happened.

“Katsuya, more yakuza members are coming to this district and destroying the public properties! They are also attacking many people at the public park!”

“Yakuza members?” Katsuya’s look darkened. “Where are they from??”

“…I hate to say this, Katsuya. It seems that…the Akui Clan has finally revived. They were responsible for the death of Miss Kozue’s father and the attack on certain clans.”

“Does that mean…?”

“Yes. The new Akui Clan leader is none other than Noriaki. Otherwise, known as Nori.”

Katsuya and Yoshinobu felt like their heart had stopped working for a few seconds. Even their hands went cold after hearing Suguru’s news.

Another female servant came running and she said that there was a phone call for Katsuya. Her face wore a worried expression and Katsuya could have guessed something was not right. Both he and Yoshinobu stood up and they were walking to the living hall with Suguru following from behind.

The receiver was placed beside the telephone and Katsuya was clenching his fists. He picked it up and he placed near his ear, spoke with his firm tone.

“Hibari Katsuya is speaking. How may I help you?”

_“Good day, Katsuya! It’s been a long time!”_

“…is that you, Noriaki?”

_“Ah, I forget to mention that I no longer use that pathetic name. From now on, you can call me Nori.”_

“I don’t see any difference. You merely shortened your name so that it is easier for everyone to remember you.”

_“…Hahaha! Thank you so much for your remark! Yes, you’re right. The shorter the name, the higher chance for people to remember me. Do you want me to help you shorten your name?”_

“No, thank you. And why are you calling me?”

_“Hm, why am I calling you? Oh, I just want to say that I’m celebrating something important. Such as the revival of my family’s clan. I’ve sent my loyal followers to spread the news about it and it seems that the people out there are screaming with joy-“_

“You are hurting them, Noriaki! If you don’t stop what you are doing, I’ll make sure that you’ll pay for it!”

_“Oh, sure. I would expect you to go out and protect the people. But, you seem to not realise something important.”_

“…what are you talking about?”

_“Let me have a closer look. This kid here…he has a soft dark brown hair. Just like his mother’s hair. He’s wearing a shiny black ear cuff, with claws on it. I wonder why he wears it- Goodness gracious, his ear is badly damaged! How did he get that-“_

“Where’s Satoshi? Where did you take him?”

_“He’s with me, Katsuya. He’s sleeping soundly with his blond-haired friend. I’m still curious about his friend. Is he truly Shin’s son?”_

“Don’t tell me…you’ve taken Ietsuna as well?”

Yoshinobu’s eyes widened and he forcefully took the telephone receiver from Katsuya’s hand.

“Noriaki. Where did you take my son?”

_“Oh, hello, Shin! I didn’t know you are with Katsuya. How are you doing?”_

“I said, where did you take my son?”

_“Be patient, Shin. If you are being too hasty, who knows when you will get to see your son?”_

“…if you ever hurt him, I will kill you.”

_“Gosh, you are getting scarier. As expected from Black Hawk. Oh well. If Katsuya is still with you, tell him that both of you will come and meet me at Kuroyuri Park.”_

“Kuroyuri Park?” the older Sawada raised his eyebrow. “Where the hell is that place?”

_“Katsuya knows where is it. I would be highly surprised if he doesn’t know. Remember, only both you and Katsuya. If you bring anyone else, both of you might as well prepare comfortable caskets for Satoshi and Ietsuna. Understand?”_

“…I understand.”

_“Good. See you there, Sawada Yoshinobu.”_

The phone call ended with a click sound and Yoshinobu placed the receiver back on the telephone. Katsuya and Suguru had been silent most of the time when Yoshinobu was talking to Nori.

Had fate has been so cruel to him? He was able to get back on his feet after losing his family members and now, he was about to lose his son.

He promised to Yoshimune and Reiko that he would protect Ietsuna. Did he fail to be a parent?

“…Shin. Are you alright?”

“…I’ve failed as a parent. Do I really deserve to lose everyone around me?”

“Shin, this is not the right time to think about it. We should not waste more time and we need to save both Satoshi and Ietsuna.”

“By the time we arrived, it’s too late.”

“But-“

Suguru stepped forward and he went on to punch across Yoshinobu’s face harshly. The older Sawada fell on the floor and he was stunned. Katsuya gasped with shock with his right-hand man’s sudden action.

“I had enough with your attitude, Sawada Yoshinobu,” Suguru cracked his knuckles. “I’ve always wanted to wake you up for a long time.”

“S…Suguru, you…”

“Master Katsuya has been patient while dealing with your inner guilt. He did not want to punch you because you are his friend. How long are you going to continue to blame yourself? No matter how many times you cry, scream or hurting yourself, your dead family members will never come back alive.”

Yoshinobu lowered his head and Suguru spoke nothing but the truth. Although he was able to try to move on, he still could feel the shackles that were fastened at his wrists and his ankles.

He missed his family members too much. If he stayed behind, no one would be able to help Ietsuna.

“Master Katsuya lost his wife. Miss Kozue had recently lost her father. Do they just sit there and continue mourning for the loss of their loved ones? No. They stood up for the sake of their children and their family. Why don’t you do the same for your son? Your dead family members only wished for you to continue living, stay strong and protect your son.”

“Suguru, you don’t have to do that to Shin-“

“Katsuya, when will you ever talk to Satoshi? Do you have any idea how much he misses you?”

“He…he misses me? But, I thought he hated me for causing the death of his mother.”

“You hardly ever paid attention to him. He lost his mother and he yearned for his father’s love due to his loneliness. And what did you do? You are busy handling with the clan’s business. In other words, you are the one who refused to see him because his looks resembled his mother. The more you see him, the more your heart breaks. Why did you want Kouichi to take care of Fon? The same reason why you refused to see Satoshi.”

Katsuya felt like someone had slapped his face with an iron. It was the most painful truth. He could not avoid it. When Satoshi needed him the most, he rejected him. If he did not do anything, it was far too late for him to reconcile with his son.

“Hey, Shin. Where are we going to meet Noriaki?”

“…At Kuroyuri Park. He said that you know where is it.”

“I see. Are you ready to see him?”

“Yes. What about you?”

“I am ready as well.”

Katsuya stood up and helped Yoshinobu to stand. He turned to look at Suguru and placed his hand on the other’s shoulder.

“Suguru, I’m counting on you to protect the people in Namimori. Bring more followers with you and catch every single member of the Akui Clan.”

“Understand, Katsuya.”


	59. strategy

The factory was quiet. There was no sound of the machines and there was no one around to produce anything from the machinery. The factory looked like it was almost abandoned. Except for a few large boxes near the entrance and they were sealed tightly.

Most of the factory workers were taken in by Nori himself. He pitied those who were abandoned and abused by their family members and to those who were unwanted. They began to see him as the new hope of their life and they became his loyal followers. Under their boss's orders, all of them left the factory to parade around the Namimori district, to celebrate the awakening of the Akui Clan.

The ones who were still in the factory were Nori, Kenichi and Ren. The three of them were staying for a while as Nori wanted to make sure that his final strategy would go as planned.

"I have always wanted to destroy the Hibari Clan for a long time. My father worked so hard to bring up the Akui Clan's name. All was gone thanks to that backstabber, Katsuya's father. Like father, like son. Katsuya even threw me in the prison. I was pretty surprised that you would help me to escape from the prison, Kenichi."

Ren hardly showed any facial expression and merely listened to his boss's statement. Nori then let out a small chuckle and he slowly turned to look at Kenichi, who looked like his name was removed from the will.

"You are the eldest son of that former head of Hibari Clan and you should be the new head of the clan. It's such a shame that your first wife could not get pregnant. Because of this problem, Katsuya became the new head. It just got worse when he has a son. So, you decided to remarry and both you and your second wife was trying so hard to get a child. You soon learn about the Akui Clan's huge knowledge about drugs and you wish to see me, asking if I have any drugs that can improve fertility. I repay you by giving you a fertility drug and miraculously, your second wife was pregnant. All because of my help."

"...I promise that I will ally with you after I become the head of Hibari Clan. Why did you break your promise?"

"Break my promise? Think again, Kenichi. You helped me to escape from prison. And I helped you to have your own child. But, I won't forget my true purpose. I will still purge the Hibari Clan." 

"That means, you-"

"Yes. You and Sawada Yoshinobu are my tools to bring Katsuya down. I do not wish to waste your talent, Kenichi. Join my clan and you will be spared. Now, as for my final strategy..."

Nori took out a film poster and he showed it to both Ren and Kenichi. The poster contained the title of the film called 'The Wishing Candy' and there was a picture of Sonoda Mayuko, dressing up as a poor girl with her hands carrying a bottle of candies.

"This new film will mark Sonoda Mayuko's debut as an actress. She will be at Asagao Middle School, somewhere in Yamanashi Prefecture for a meet-and-greet event. Almost at the end of the event, she will be giving out these miracle sweets to everyone at that school. You and Ren will assist her. I can't wait to see the students and the teachers' extreme euphoria once they start to eat the miracle candy."

"Wait for a second!" Kenichi spoke up in sudden. "Are you distributing the miracle drugs to the teachers and students at that school? How on earth did you produce that many of them??"

"You are expecting me to wait for you to get back that poisonous konpeito for me? I guess I forgot to tell you something. The one I asked you to keep it for me is just an ordinary konpeito, while the miracle sweets are the poisonous drugs, produced under your shop's name. If anything happens to the teachers and the students, you are doomed."

"...Nori, you...you..."

"It is rather unfortunate that you are from the Hibari Clan. Good luck with the event. I need to go and see my old friends."

Nori's grin went wide and clapped Kenichi's shoulder several times. He left and he instructed Ren to put all the sealed boxes in the car. Ren only nodded his head once and he started to put all the boxes until he saw Mayuko's distressed look.

"Miss Sonoda, are you alright?"

"...I'm tired. I don't know how long I can do this."

"If you wish to rest, you can do so after the meet-and-greet event."

"No. I...I just can't do this anymore. How long I should stay until I'm done paying all the damn debts??"

Mayuko buried her face with her hands and she was crying. Ren did nothing for a moment before he sat beside her.

"...Miss Sonoda, do you wish to quit from your job as a superstar?"

"...Even...even if I want to...I can't quit, right?"

"If you want to quit, just say so."

"But your boss doesn't allow me to do so until I'm done paying all the debts!"

"...to be honest, you are already paying all your father's debts."

"...huh??"

"Your father's debts were fully paid right before the filming of the new movie. I wanted to tell you this but I thought of your wish to be a superstar. So, I didn't say anything."

"You should have told me earlier so that I could tell the director that I did not want to accept the main role!" Mayuko snapped. "Or is it because of your boss's orders?!"

Ren's eyes were avoiding her eyes for a while. He could not bring himself to tell her that Nori was using her as a part of his plan to purge the Hibari Clan. The girl was innocent. And yet, she was being used to distribute the poisonous drugs to the teachers and the students.

Mayuko's future will be ruined because of Nori's evil strategy.

"Miss Sonoda, first of all, I would like to apologise for not telling you the truth. If you do wish to quit from the entertainment industry, I will help you."

"...you...you will?"

"I just need you to trust me. If you do, I will help you."

"But, what about your boss? Is it alright for you to-"

"We do not have much time left, Miss Sonoda. Do you trust me?"

Mayuko was slightly confused with Ren's sudden change of mind. She knew that he had been Nori's most loyal right-hand man but what made him do something to go against his boss's orders?

She hated Nori so much ever since she was forced to work as a superstar but Ren had been patient to her. Normally, anyone who spoke ill about their boss would be punished and Ren did not raise his hand to hurt her.

Why was he protecting Mayuko?

"...alright, I trust you, Ren."

* * *

He did not know how long he had been sleeping. He was in pain and he did not want to wake up. He was feeling ashamed of himself. He thought that he was strong enough to help Satoshi fighting against Nori's followers with the help of his dying will flames. Perhaps being arrogant was not a good thing. He was not strong enough. He only recently learnt some basic skills of fighting which was only used to protect himself. Not fighting against people.

Ever since hearing about his great-grandfather and the Vongola Famiglia, he was proud of him and he admitting that he wanted to be just like him. Be as strong as him and protect the people.

After what had happened to him, he could not bring himself to think about Vongola Primo.

He was so disappointed with himself.

"Hey."

He somehow heard a soft faint voice coming from nowhere. Maybe it was just his imagination.

"Hey, wake up."

He heard it again. The voice was rather familiar.

"Sawada Ietsuna. Wake up. Are you going to continue sleeping for the rest of your life?"

The voice was getting louder and he blinked his eyes hard. He slowly moved his head and he looked to where the voice came from.

From the spot where he had slept, he first saw a pair of brown shoes worn by someone. It was the shoes that were worn by all the students in his school including himself. Was it Sakaguchi? Or Takeo? Or president Sugihara?

His eyes slowly looked up and he saw someone wearing the black gakuran uniform. Who was he? Was he someone he did not know?

"Do you want me to help you stand up?"

The other held out his hand for Ietsuna. He unconsciously took the other's hand and he managed to get up at his own feet.

What came next was giving a huge shock to himself. Standing in front of him was none other than, him.

Another Sawada Ietsuna.

Only that his eyes were orange in colour. The same colour of the dying will flame on his forehead.

His other self was smiling at him and Ietsuna felt like he had just met a doppelganger. Meeting a doppelganger was never a good sign. That was what he heard from Hanako, who was a fan of horror ghost stories.

"Who...who are you?"

"Me?" his other self tilted his head and he gave his curious look. "I am you. And you are me."

"B-but...it can't be. How is this possible?"

"Possible or not, do you think it is the right time for you to continue sleeping in this place?"

"...we were surrounded by the yakuza members. Satoshi was fighting against them. And I...I was trying to activate my dying will flame. Why I can't do it?"

"Didn't you hear what uncle Kazuhiro tell you about dying will flame?"

"You know him?"

"I told you that I am you, right? Now think again what did he tell you about the dying will flame."

"...resolution is the key to activate the flame."

"Yes. And what was the last thing that came into your mind when Hatanaka Masato was in danger?"

"I...I want to save Hatanaka."

"Exactly. As simple as that. It doesn't have to be too complicated. What do you think you should do before you passed out?"

Ietsuna lowered his head and he knew his own mistake.

"I want to help Satoshi. And yet, I...I made everything so complicated. I'm such an arrogant fool." 

"Not everyone is perfect. We made mistakes and we learn not to repeat it."

"...you seem to understand me."

"That's because...I am you."

His other self raised his hand and he snapped his finger. Right after he did so, Ietsuna heard a loud crash around him. It was so loud that he finally regained his consciousness.

"You finally awake?"

Ietsuna quickly turned around and Satoshi was sitting beside him. There was some blood from his forehead and he was trying to ease the pain that came from his head.

"A-are you alright, Satoshi?"

"Just a stinging pain from the back of my head," he hissed. "That evil man hit my head with the wood. What an irony, Hatsuka and I got hit with the same weapon."

"...I'm sorry. Because of me, you were attacked by that man..."

"Forget it. His followers outnumbered us and we would be caught as well."

"How long I've been unconscious?"

"Counting from the time I woke up, it's been one hour."

Ietsuna was looking at him for a while and he soon noticed that they were in a large empty building. Only one door and several windows that were too high for anyone to reach. He wanted to stand up when Satoshi suddenly grabbed his arm, stopping him from moving anywhere.

"If you want to live longer, you better sit down."

"What? Are we going to stay here and do nothing??"

"...shut your ears tightly."

Satoshi picked up a palm-sized stone and he threw across the empty building. Once the stone landed on the ground, it exploded loudly in sudden. Ietsuna was thankful that Satoshi gave a warning but his face went pale after witnessing something scary.

"W...what is that??"

"Land mines. They are concealed under the ground and are easily triggered by pressure, vibration and sound." 


	60. intuition

“…how did you know that…there are land mines concealed under this building?”

“Many possibilities. First of all, our position. The kidnappers would simply place their victims and leave them in the hiding spot. But in our case, we were placed at one spot, making sure that we were safe from the dangerous area before leaving us here. Secondly, there were hardly any small animals or living things in this building. Such as rats, birds and lizards.”

“You’re right! Not even one lizard is around! Is it because they could detect the danger better than humans?”

“Yes. That is why the animals, birds and fishes were moving to a safer place to stay once they sense something dangerous like earthquake and tsunami.”

“You have been looking at this whole building while I was unconscious?”

“Yes. Though I’m still unsure how did that man obtain some land mines. They are mostly used in wars, especially during the second world war.”

“…that’s horrible.”

They soon did not talk for a while. None of them was moving as Ietsuna feared that he might trigger any of the land mines. Satoshi still needed some time to rest as he could feel his head spinning a little. Nori’s strength was unbelievably powerful.

“Uh, Satoshi. Can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“Of all the things you can make for the woodworking project, why did you choose to make a music box?”

Satoshi narrowed his eyes and Ietsuna flinched, as he lowered his head, asking for forgiveness.

“I-I’m so sorry! I was helping someone to look for his airplane model in the school workshop and I-I happened to see a wooden music box with your name on it! I was so overly curious that I took it out and played it-!”

“I made it for Hatsuka.”

“…huh??”

“Hatsuka and I were arguing last few weeks before she was attacked. She found out that I have been beating up some people in the school. The argument was getting serious that I destroyed her music box in the school workshop.”

“You…destroyed her music box? Why she didn’t tell me about it?”

“Most likely she doesn’t want anyone including you to worry about her.”

“…she cares about everyone more than herself. Especially you.”

“Me? Why?”

“She often talked about you and Hanako always tease her for that. She knew that you were saddened with the death of your mother and she had been trying her best to make you smile again. She did so many things just for you such but you told her that you had been busy. Hanako knew that her sister was sad but she simply smiled. She said, ‘It’s fine. I’ll give it to him next time.’ The birthday presents she made for you every year were placed on the table in her room and I had been wondering when you would accept it.”

Satoshi clenched his fists tightly. He was not angry at Ietsuna. He was angry at himself. He was way too busy to find his mother’s killer that he completely ignored his childhood friend’s effort to make him happy once again.

_**“Hey, Satoshi! How are you? I brought some food from home. Let’s eat together during lunch.”** _

_**“I heard from uncle Katsuya that he will be bringing me, my sister, granny, both Ietsuna and his father for a vacation. Are you coming along?”** _

_**“Oh, don’t worry about my fingers! I’m just knitting something for the school project. Will you be at home? I want to give you a birthday present.”** _

_**“…you are always busy. Is this what you’ve been doing? Punching and kicking people? I understand. Do whatever you want. I’m sorry for bothering you.”** _

He made her cry and he failed to protect her. Accident or not, he could have been able to protect her. Thinking back, his mother would not want him to waste his time looking for her killer.

He remembered the sound of a gunshot and the bullet was meant for him. His mother quickly came to hug him, receiving the bullet instead of her son.

Hatsuka was right. His mother sacrificed her life to protect him.

“…I didn’t mean to ignore Hatsuka. I just…I was too busy to look for my mother’s killer.”

“Your mother’s killer? On your own? I thought your father would handle it.”

“Ever since my mother’s death, he never came to see me. Even with the wound I had from my ear, he did not show any concern. All he did was to send his right-hand man to take care of me. I had been asking him (Suguru) when will my father come to see me and he regretfully told me that he was too busy handling the clan’s affair. The servants would not dare to talk about my mother for fear that the head of the clan would punish them, and this made me think that my father cared less about my dead mother. No matter how many times Suguru told me that my father was not a heartless person, I grew angry just by looking at his face. So, I said to myself, I don’t even need his help to look for my mother’s killer. I’ll do it on my own.”

“…is that why you shot an angry look at me when I mentioned about your father?”

“Did I do that?”

“Yes, when I was a first-year student in junior high school. Before you told me that you lost your mother when you were young,” Ietsuna sighed. “And I don’t think your father is a heartless person.”

“What makes you think of that?”

“My father and I were invited by your father to go for a vacation with Hatsuka, Hanako and her grandmother. Though it was fun, he wished that you were coming along. He told my father that he was trying his best to mend his relationship with you.”

“Did he even try? I doubt he would come to see me.”

“How about…you go and see him?”

“…why should I do that?”

“I…I don’t know. Rather than waiting for your father to do it, why don’t you do it first?”

“…”

“He didn’t come to see you because he was saddened with the death of his wife. While you were still traumatised, he decided to leave you be until you were mentally stable. What he did not realise that he himself was slowly descending in the darkness. And the one who needs to save him is you, Satoshi.”

“You understand him better than I do.”

“My father went through the same as your father was.”

“Because of your mother's death?”

“Well, more than just my mother's death.”

Satoshi then stood up and dusting off his clothes before he spoke to Ietsuna.

“We need to leave this place. You can stay here while I'll find a safe way to walk without triggering any of the land mines.”

“H-hold on, are you sure about this? Why not waiting for anyone to find us here?”

“That man has a plan in his mind. The way he spoke about our father made me think that he had a grudge against both of them. Who knows that he might detonate this place to kill both of us. Our only option is to leave this place safely without triggering any land mines in the ground.”

Satoshi turned to look at the empty area and he tried to locate the buried land mines. He was about to walk when Ietsuna suddenly grabbed his arm to stop him.

“Let...let me lead the way.”

“...I don’t think this is the right time to tell a joke-“

“No, I'm serious,” Ietsuna frowned. “You just recovered and you still need time to rest your head.”

“You don’t even know where are the land mines. Are you waiting for a chance to get a one-way ticket to the afterlife world?”

“I know that I’m lack of knowledge about the land mines but please, trust me. Just let me lead the way."

He was not waiting for him to answer as he once with one knee down, placing both of his hands on the ground and he closed his eyes to concentrate.

He cleared all his thoughts. All he wanted was to find out the hidden land mines. He waited for a few seconds and he felt like something was responding to him in his mind.

“Follow me from behind, Satoshi.”

Ietsuna said with his calm tone as he stood up and he opened his eyes. Satoshi was still doubting but he had no choice. The blond boy started to walk step by step. When his intuition gave a warning to him, he knew that he had to stop and take another turn.

It was quite a long way for them to reach the door as this was for the sake of their safety.

Both of them soon arrived at the door without triggering any of the land mines. Ietsuna reached for the doorknob to open but it was locked. Satoshi gently pushed him aside and with only one kick, the door was wide open.

Tall, rough-looking men with white tank tops and fierce coloured tattoos turned their heads to see both of them at the building's door. They had an unbelievable look on their faces as one of them spoke out.

“It...it can’t be! How the hell both of you managed to escape from those land mines?!”

“Does it matter?” Satoshi smirked at them and he picked up the jitte from the ground. “Thank you for leaving my weapons here. I need it to skewer your heads.”

“You will not escape! Everyone, catch those brats!!”

All the heavily tattooed men picked up their weapons and they were running towards them. Satoshi did not hesitate further and he went to fight against them. Ietsuna could dodge those who were coming to catch or hit him.

They were too many of them and he had to fight against them. He would not let Satoshi do it by himself.

_“I want to help Satoshi. I won’t let him do it alone. I want to fight.”_

Within a few seconds, he felt something was burning inside his body and later to his head. The flames were listening to his thoughts.

He had never felt so powerful in his life.

One man was about to attack him from behind and Ietsuna simply grabbed his wooden stick, pulled the man and he punched his stomach with a strong blow. The man was sent flying and crashed on the ground, gasping in pain. Ietsuna knelt and he spoke with a deep, calm voice.

“I remember you. You are the one who punched me before I went unconscious.”

The man's eyes widened with shock as he could see the orange flames burning on his forehead. The colour that matched both of his eyes.

“Who...who the hell are you...?”

“You don’t need to know about me. Just go back to sleep.”

The blond boy punched across the man's cheek and he passed out. Ietsuna stood up and he saw more men were coming towards him.

“I guess I can train myself to use my powers properly.”

* * *

Katsuya and Yoshinobu were on their way to Kuroyuri Park. They did not say anything as they walked. They were worried about their sons who were caught by Nori and they dreaded to think that he would harm both of them. They were hoping that both of them were at the place where they would meet Nori.

Yoshinobu was more determined to not lose his son.

“Katsuya. Why did he want us to meet him at Kuroyuri Park?”

“...I wonder why.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Before the place was made as a park, it was once a private hospital named Kuroyuri Hospital. Twelve years ago, the hospital showed some signs of building collapse and people were worried about it. The director of the hospital did not believe it and he thought it was just a small matter. Because he did not do anything, the hospital collapsed and only ten out of two hundred and fifty medical staff and patients survived under the rubble. The director was sued for this incident. Rather than rebuilding the hospital, the state government decided to make it as a park for people to remember the victims of the building collapse. This happened a year after Amaya died.”

“A year after she died? That means...”

“Yes. It was the place where Fon was born and Amaya was killed.”

“This made me think that he purposely choose that place for you to remember your dead wife.”

“...Shin, I have something to give you. Hold out your hands.”

Yoshinobu did what he said and after he held out his hands, Katsuya placed a wrapped item on his hands. It was quite heavy and once he unwrapped it, his eyes widened with shock.

It was a pair of brass knuckles he threw in the pond many years ago. 


	61. nightmare

“When did you...pick this up?”

“Two days after you threw it in the pond. Look, if you want to throw it away, find a dustbin instead of in the pond.”

“And you kept it for many years? Why would you do that?”

“Are you planning to fight against Noriaki with your bare hands? At least you need a weapon to do so.”

“Katsuya, I’m not trying to be proud or anything but you clearly know that I could fight with only my bare hands.”

“Yes, I know. You are stronger although both of us have equal strength. I have reason to tell you to use a weapon.”

“What’s your reason?”

“I fought against him after you went back to see your dying grandfather. I hate to admit it but, Noriaki’s strength is not something that you should underestimate.”

“Is he really that strong?”

“Abnormally strong.”

“Then, why would you want me to use something that I never want to use it? This weapon destroyed part of my life.”

“Yes, it does destroy part of your life. Why don’t you use it to fight against him instead?”

“...What if I refuse to use it?”

“I’m only warning you about his strength. If you still insist to use your hands to fight, don’t blame me for not telling you. Make your decision quickly before it’s too late to save our sons.”

It was not the right time to be overconfident about his fighting skills. It was slowly deteriorating ever since he last fought against Hatanaka Ryota.

The day when his father had passed away. The day Ietsuna lost his beloved grandfather.

He had this idiotic thought. If he did not fight, he would never lose any of his family members. Ietsuna was his only family member left to protect. As Noriaki had him as a hostage, he did not have any other choice.

He had to fight to save his son.

He simply took the brass knuckles and put it in his pocket before he quickly walked away. Katsuya only let out a small sigh as he followed him from behind.

They soon arrived at the Kuroyuri Park and the environment of the park was rather gloomy. It could not be helped since many people died after the hospital collapse incident.

“It’s great to see both of you again.”

Katsuya and Yoshinobu turned around and they saw Nori coming out from the trees. He grinned wider to see their tensed look and he slowly shook his head.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you want to say anything to celebrate our reunion?”

Yoshinobu went on to grab his shirt collar and he narrowed his eyes with anger.

“Where is my son, Noriaki?”

“The one with blond hair and two-coloured eyes?” Nori chuckled. “Goodness gracious, Shin. How did your wife manage to give birth to a child like that? Or is it true he was adopted out of pity?”

“One more word about Reiko and Ietsuna and I will slit your mouth from ear to ear,” he growled.

“Just like Kuchisake-onna (slit-mouthed woman)? Do you think it suits me?”

“It does suits you well since you love to smile so much. Now tell me where's Ietsuna and Satoshi.”

“Didn’t I tell you not to be hasty? One grave mistake and you won’t be seeing them again.”

Nori took out a small device with a round red push button and he showed it to Yoshinobu.

“The boys are now in an empty building with land mines buried under the ground. With one push, you can say goodbye to them.”

“Wait, how did you get those land mines?!” Katsuya exclaimed with shock.

“Connection with someone important? I guess it’s a yes,” Nori laughed before he looked at them. “If both of you want them to be safe, then do as what I say.”

“...Shin, let him go.”

Yoshinobu tightened his jaws as he removed his hand from Nori's shirt collar. Right after he did so, he felt something unpleasant. Nori was about to swing an unknown object at him and Yoshinobu was quick to avoid his sudden attack. A long object materialised at Nori's hands and it was revealed to be a yari (spear).

The older Sawada grew more confused. How did someone like Nori would make his weapon appear from a thin air?

“Ah, yes. Katsuya had seen it during our last fight.”

Nori gave another swing to have a closer look at the spear.

“This spear is my family's most treasured weapon, made by a talented blacksmith during the Heian period. Then, it was later given as a gift to my ancestor, one of the famous daimyos in Japan. He created the Akui Clan and many people joined to fight against Emperor Meiji before all were arrested. My father then took over to bring back the Akui Clan name but all was destroyed thanks to Katsuya's father. So here am I, carrying my ancestor and my father's wish to make the Akui Clan powerful once again, with this spear as my guidance.”

“...what do want us to do, Noriaki?” Katsuya asked coldly.

“A rematch. The previous fight does not count because you told your loyal right-hand man to call the police to catch me and my followers. Now that both of you are here, let us make things a little fun.”

Nori started to use his spear to attack Yoshinobu and the other managed to dodge his incoming attack. Nori would not wait and he continued to swing the spear at a fast speed. Yoshinobu could only avoid and sometimes block his attacks with his arms, realising that he was not giving him a chance to make his first move.

As the spear was about to slash his arm, Katsuya took out a pair of sai and immediately blocked his attack to protect Yoshinobu.

“Sai, huh?” Nori mocked. “It's nothing but a useless weapon. I have to admit that you are one of the few people who can use sai effectively in the fight.”

“Oh, really?” Katsuya only gave a small smile. “You use the spear as good as your ancestor. Although, it’s sad to say that spears were only used as a ceremonial weapon during the Edo period.”

“Mocking me, aren’t you? Let me see if you can smile again after this.”

With one harsh swing, Nori’s spear was able to pull one of the sai from Katsuya’s hand and he used the spear’s hilt to hit his stomach. Katsuya used his other sai to hook Nori’s spear and he was prepared to use his elbow to strike Nori’s face. As quick as lightning, Nori dodged his elbow attack and he lowered his spear so that he could remove it from Katsuya’s sai.

Yoshinobu had been waiting for his chance to help Katsuya but if he interrupted in sudden, Katsuya would end up getting hurt. He stood aside and watched Nori’s fighting style.

Nori fought well with his spear and he was fast. So, what was abnormal about his strength?

Katsuya managed to pick up his other sai and both he and Nori continued to fight. Yoshinobu started to see something was off about Nori.

He was grinning and he had been trying to stab Katsuya even for once. Katsuya was frowning and he was having a difficulty to defeat Nori.

When Katsuya finally had the chance to knock him down, Nori’s grin was wider than before. Yoshinobu blinked his eyes once and he saw a wisp of smoke coming out from his hand-

Yoshinobu’s eyes widened with horror. It was not smoke. It was a dying will flame.

Katsuya felt it again. The uncomfortable feeling. It was too late for him to react.

“Your right-hand man is not around to interfere with our fight, right?” Nori chuckled darkly. “Here’s the taste of my vengeance.”

The invisible vine went through his arm and thorns were pricking his veins. It happened too fast and Katsuya felt like something burst in his brain. He blacked out and fell on the ground.

“Katsuya!!”

As Nori was about to stab Katsuya’s head, Yoshinobu ran and pushed him away from his unconscious friend.

“That’s cheating, Shin!” Nori snapped. “I’m about to win against that traitor!”

“Cheating?” he glared at him. “You did something bad to him, didn’t you?”

“Huh?” Nori tilted his head. “What did I do?”

“Don’t act dumb. You use a faint coloured flame to attack Katsuya, right??”

Nori's expression had changed as if someone had just uncovered the magician's secret tricks.

“So, you can see the special flames I’m possessing. Am I right, Shin?”

His tone of speaking was low and dangerous. Yoshinobu knew that he could not lie to him. He was able to see the dying will flame. The only flame that had the faintest colour of all was the mist flame.

“No one knows about my special powers. Even Katsuya. Though I could tell that he knew something about my strength. He can’t do anything to avoid my attack.”

“What did you do to him?”

“I simply made him succumbed to his endless nightmare. Poor Katsuya. I wonder what he will have to witness. The death of his wife, or the death of his son? He's been a broken man for many years.”

“You son of the devil,” Yoshinobu tightened his fists and he was in his stance to fight Nori. “I'll never forgive you.”

“You are prepared to fight against me, with your bare hands?” Nori smirked and held his spear tightly. “How about using a weapon to fight?”

“I’d rather use hands than any other weapon.”

“Fine. Let's get this done.”

Both of them moved and attack at the same time. Despite Nori used half of his strength to stab and hit with his spear that was as heavy as iron, Yoshinobu was able to block and dodged with only his hands and arms. Without the help of Hyper Intuition at the moment, he could see through all the attack thanks to his fighting experience.

“I thought your skills are getting rusty after all these years but you’re getting good,” Nori sneered. “Are you still interested to join my clan?”

“I’m not joining your corrupted clan. No matter how you tried or forced me, I will not join!”

“Force you? Oh, sounds interesting!”

“What the-!”

“Let me remind you that I am the one who will determine the life and death of Ietsuna and Satoshi. If you join me, then both of them will be safe. Now, hurry and give me your answer!”

Even Yoshinobu could not focus on fighting against Nori. Katsuya was unconscious and he could not decide what he should do. Joining the Akui Clan would bring a dark future for himself but it was the only way he could save Ietsuna.

No, he could not do that. He did not want to repeat the same mistake-

“You are way too slow, Shin.”

Hearing Nori’s threatening voice, he realised that he was surrounded by vines and flowers, covered with mist flames. He could not move. Nori was laughing just by looking at his condition.

“How is that, Shin? Do you like my beautiful plants??”

“H…how did you…”

“How did I use my special flame? Well, the answer is here.”

Nori held out his hand to show an odd-looking ring with silver vine covering the orb in the middle.

“Th…that ring…”

“The last gift from my father. Before he and the rest of my family members were arrested, he gave it to me and told me to use it for the sake of the Akui Clan. It was unclear of how did he have it but this ring was the reason why he successfully reviving the Akui Clan. I merely thought it was the clan’s most treasured heirloom besides the spear and it helped me. I spent all my years in prison to use this ring and I have never felt so powerful.”

The mist flame from the mysterious ring grew larger and Yoshinobu’s body was tightly wrapped with vines. Nori approached and placed his hand on his forehead.

“I shall trap you in the world that you dreaded the most. In other words, your worst nightmare.”

He felt his head was spinning fast. He blinked his eyes hard to stop the spinning.

****_“…Yoshinobu…”_ ** **

He quickly opened his eyes and he saw his grandfather…and his younger self.

His corrupted younger self.

****_“If violence is not the solution, then what?! I’m sick of being too kind and forgiving!!”_ ** **

****_“I know that you are so frustrated but I don’t want you to take that dark path ahead of you. The flame you inherited from me does not exist to hurt people. Please, Yoshinobu. You will regret it if you do it.”_ ** **

“…no…no…”

****_“So, the flame exists to protect people? Is that it, grandpa?”_ ** **

“…s…stop…no…”

****_“In that case, I don’t need this useless flame.”_ ** **

Ieyasu’s face went pale. The present Yoshinobu quickly shut his ears tightly and his breathing was getting unstable.

****_“I understand now. I understand why your beloved family has fallen. You are too soft, grandpa.”_ ** **

****_“…what?”_ ** **

****_“The family doesn’t need a weak and soft-hearted leader like you. That is why your family had fallen.”_ ** **

“…no, it’s not…it’s not true…”

****_“Yoshinobu, how…could you say that?”_ ** **

****_“I’m not like you, grandpa. I will do what I think is the right thing to do. If you are disappointed with me, then consider that you don’t have a grandson like me.”_ ** **

“It’s not true!! I didn’t mean to say that!!!”

_“…you still did.”_

His younger self was in front of him but his face was completely black. Only a large creepy grin.

_“Have you forgotten something? Or you just don’t want to remember?”_

“…re…remember what…?”

_“…you can’t activate the flame because…you rejected it. You denied that flame’s existence.”_

He soon screamed with agony. His mind was broken. 


	62. illusion

Unlike Satoshi, Ietsuna was almost exhausted after they defeated all the tattooed men. He never knew that using his Sky flames would be as tired as running four rounds on the school sports field. All thanks to these men, Ietsuna's fighting skills had improved a lot.

"I'm going to put all of them in that empty building," Satoshi started and he was about to drag one of the men to the building.

"Huh? You can't do that!" Ietsuna said quickly. "We defeated them and it should be enough!"

"They are that man's followers. Why not having him to taste his own medicine by having his loyal followers killed?"

"Loyal or not, I don't think he even cares about their lives. And, I don't want you to be a cold-blooded murderer. So, just let them stay outside the building."

"...you are way too kind. No wonder Hatsuka adores you like her little brother she never has."

"Eh?"

"But, let me warn you. Some bad people will take advantage of your kindness. Don't show that often when you are fighting against someone."

"...alright, thank you for telling me."

"Let's leave this place before someone else noticed that we have escaped."

"We don't even know where we are-"

Satoshi ignored his words and he was walking through the thick trees to find a way out. Ietsuna only sighed and he quickly followed him until they reached a small, narrow path. Lucky for them, there was a farmer in his fifties pulling a large wooden cart and he was coming towards them. Satoshi immediately recognised him as he ran to see him.

"Excuse me, Harada-san!"

The farmer stopped pulling the wooden cart and he blinked his eyes with confusion.

"Hm? Who are you, kid? And how did you know my name?"

"...I'm Satoshi, Hibari Katsuya's son. Do you remember me?"

"...Goodness me! Are you young master Satoshi??"

The farmer gently ruffled his hair and he was laughing brightly. While Ietsuna was still confused, he would not want to speak at the moment to see how it went.

"It's been long! You were this little since the last time I saw you! How's your father, young master?"

"I don't know. That's why we need your help to bring us back to Namimori."

"What's happening?"

"I'll tell you later. Please bring us back, Harada-san."

"Alright. Hop in and we'll be off."

Satoshi and Ietsuna climbed and they sat in the wooden cart. The farmer started to pull the cart and run as fast as he could. If it was not because of an emergency, they would not have to experience a rough journey.

"Satoshi, do you know this man?"

"He's my former gardener. He retired when I was young to take care of his elderly parents. I never knew I would see him around here."

"I see."

"What's wrong?"

"...I don't know. I just...I want to go back and see my father."

Ietsuna began to feel uncomfortable. He was worried about his father.

* * *

"That's fast. I'm about to use up all my strength to fight with you."

Although the older Sawada was half-conscious, he did not show any signs of responding Nori. The other sighed heavily as he knelt and he grabbed a fistful of Yoshinobu's hair.

"I still remember your murderous look when you fought against Ryota. The confident and victorious eyes, you were unbeatable. But now, by looking at your dead eyes, you no longer have the chance to defeat me."

He released his hair and he was ready to stab his head with his spear.

"Don't worry. I can help you to end your worst nightmare. Just one stab and you will see your beloved family members. You always wanted to see your grandfather, right?"

Yoshinobu was yet to answer him since he was trapped in his nightmare. Nori was close to claim his victory until something hit his spear, causing him to drop it on the ground.

"...I'm not dead yet..."

Katsuya had a weak smirk on his face and it appeared that he threw one of his sai to stop Nori from killing his friend. Though he looked tired, he managed to wake up from Nori's illusion.

"Unbelievable. No one has ever freed themselves from my cursed powers. How did you break it?"

"I don't know," Katsuya laughed weakly. "Just to remind you that if me or any other Hibari family members had ever lost to someone in an embarrassing way, it would be our biggest insult."

"Pathetic," Nori scoffed and he picked up his spear. "What's the use if you managed to break free? You can't even stand up after using up all your strength to break my powers!"

"Have you forgotten about us?"

Nori's eyes widened and he turned around to see Satoshi and Ietsuna. Katsuya saw both of them and he sighed with relief to see that they were safe.

"It can't be! How did both of you-"

"Save your breath," Satoshi spoke coldly and he took out his jitte. "I'm still not done with you."

Satoshi went on to attack Nori and they started to fight. Ietsuna came to check on Katsuya and he was concerned to see his condition.

"Uncle Katsuya, are you alright??"

"I'm fine. Just...tired. Anyway, forget about me. You better go and see your father. He needs help more than I do."

Ietsuna glanced and he was stunned. He ran and he noticed that his father was in a dreadful state.

"...father? Father, are you awake?"

Yoshinobu remained silent. There was no light from his eyes and Ietsuna bit his own lips. He refused to believe that his father had left him.

He already lost his mother and he was not going to lose his only family member. Not when he really needed him the most.

"...please wake up, father. I...I don't want to be alone. Wake up...wake up..."

He could not help himself to cry. He shook his father's shoulders harshly but there was no response. All he heard was Nori's laughter. His heartless laughter was enough to make Ietsuna's blood boil.

Satoshi did all his best to defeat Nori but it was unsuccessful. All because he could not see through his illusionary powers.

"You should have died. But your mother was foolish. So foolish that she took the bullet instead of you!"

With only one strong swing, an invisible attack directly slashed Satoshi's shoulder. The wound was too deep and the blood would not stop oozing.

"You fight well despite your age. Too bad, you need to spend another few more years to be able to defeat me!"

Ietsuna held his spear before Nori could hurt Satoshi again. Nori was shocked to see the orange flame on his forehead and instead of two coloured eyes, both of his eyes were orange in colour.

"You...you have special flames as well?"

"You hurt my family and my friends. I can't forgive you."

Ietsuna punched across Nori's face and he almost stumbled, using his spear to support himself. The punch was so strong that he nearly lost one of his teeth. The orange flame burnt fiercely and Ietsuna glared at him.

"I will defeat you. I won't allow you to hurt more people!"

"...haha, interesting. I would love to see your strength since you are the son of Black Hawk."

Nori was not planning to unleash his full strength. Upon seeing Ietsuna's body build, he assumed that his punch was his utmost strength. Probably less powerful compared to Yoshinobu.

How wrong he was.

Ietsuna dodged and fully utilizing his arms to block all his spear attack. As Nori thrusted his spear, Ietsuna grabbed it with his hands and violently rotated the spear, causing Nori to fall on the ground. The blond boy was about to hit his back with his elbow when he felt like something tied up his arm. He glanced and he could see that the vines wrapped his legs and waist. The vines were coated with mist flames. Another type of dying will flame that he saw for the first time.

"Whew, thankfully this ring of mine saves my life."

Nori stood up and his body started to hurt a little. Ietsuna could see the vines and flowers clearly. Including the vines that wrapped his father's body. He clenched his fists tightly. He did not know that his father was trapped in Nori's illusionary world.

"I'm amazed that you can use your flame without a ring. Do you mind if you could tell me how did you do it?"

"...I won't tell."

"I knew you would say that. Well, do you know what flame is this?"

It was not a wise move to tell him that he knew about the Mist flame. If he told him that he did not know anything, Nori would force him to tell the truth.

"I...I don't know. Was it used to create real illusions that could easily fool the senses?"

"Exactly! Illusions can be fake, and can be real. If you think it's nothing but a fake illusion, then what do you think of this??"

He snapped his finger once and the vines tightened around his arm, waist and legs. Thorns from the vines appeared and pricked his parts of the body. Ietsuna groaned with pain as he saw more blood oozing from where the thorns pricked on.

"I'm sorry about that. I'm merely showing my special flame's ability. Aside from these vines and flowers, I can trap the victims in their worst nightmare. Just like what happened to your father."

The blond boy glanced and he was frowning. He felt disappointed for not being able to help his father again.

"What kind of nightmare my father has to witness?"

"I don't know. My ring knows. Perhaps I can show how my ring does."

The Mist flame from Nori's ring became brighter and Ietsuna was getting uncomfortable by looking at it. Nori smirked wider and he was close to placing his hand on the boy's forehead. Ietsuna was struggling to free himself from the vines but it was more painful with thorns on it.

Was he about to suffer the same fate as his father did?

**_"It's just a damn trick!"_ **

Ietsuna blinked with surprise. Someone's voice instantly came across his mind. Though it had been years, he still recognised the voice.

**_"Eh? There's no treasure at the desert?"_ **

**_"Of course there's no treasure! This lost traveller was overconfident, saying that he could see the treasure just in front of his eyes. Ignoring his fellow friend's warnings, he resorted to walk and get the treasure for himself. No matter how long he's been walking, he still could not find any treasure. He was lost and slowly accepting the fact that it was only deceiving his eyes."_ **

**_"Poor him. He must be really sad."_ **

**_"Sad? His greed made him do such a thing. Just trust your own senses and you will be fine."_ **

Ietsuna only smiled. He was almost as foolish as the lost traveller, a storybook he once read with Timoteo when he was young. ** _  
_**

"...you must be laughing at me. Right, Timmy?"

"Hm? Nori frowned. "Why are you smiling?"

"...in the end, it's just a magic trick. Am I right?"

Ietsuna's hands releasing a large amount of Sky flames and it later burned the vines that wrapped around him. Nori stood far away from the blond boy and he was alarmed to see the intensity of the orange flame.

He clenched his jaw tightly. It was impossible. His special flame could only help him to deceive people's senses. Why the boy's flame was able to burn like real fire?

"Don't be too cocky, kid! Let's see if you can defeat a monster that lives within my ring!"

He unleashed the power within the ring and a large monstrous tree appeared behind him. The aura from the monstrous tree was threatening. Ietsuna would not back off. If he could end it fast, he would be able to save his father.

Nori's eyes were filled with madness. The same madness that the monstrous tree was possessing. It continued to strike the boy with roots and vines and all Ietsuna could do was to dodge, defend and attack.

He used too much of his flames. He grew nervous. The flames he had now was showing signs of weakening. The monstrous tree was too large for him to burn it.

_"I...I'm almost out of flames. What should I do? Father, please hang on!"_


	63. smile

“I had enough. Leave me alone. Just…leave me alone…”

He was tired. He wanted everything to end. He wanted those things that had been disturbing his mind for many years to leave him alone.

He knew it was his fault. He already apologised. So why he was yet to free from the guilt he had been suffering?

He was in the darkness, all alone. It was strangely quiet. The quietness that felt empty.

That was it. It was better to leave him alone.

But all of a sudden, he heard a baby crying.

A baby was wailing, calling out for their parents to cuddle them.

****_“Congratulations, Mr and Mrs Sawada! It’s a healthy baby boy!”_ ** **

He could hear a doctor's excited voice. He opened his eyes and he could see a door in front of him. As his curiosity grew, he slowly stood up and he walked, gently opened a door.

A man who was years younger than him was carrying a blond-haired baby in his arms. He softly sang a lullaby song for the baby to sleep.

He recognised the lullaby song. It was in Italian. His grandfather used to sing it for him when he was young.

The scene in front of him had faded and soon, he saw a little blond boy collecting some ladybug and leaves in a jar. As soon a man came back from work, the boy excitedly showed a jar of ladybugs to him. The man simply smiled and he advised the boy to release the ladybugs in the garden.

****_“Huh? Why?”_ ** **

****_“Because these ladybugs want to go home and see their parents. Their father and mother must be worried about them.”_ ** **

****_“Oh, alright! I'll send them back to their house!”_ ** **

He saw both of them at the garden and releasing the ladybugs from the jar. He glanced behind and he saw a teenage blond-haired boy doing something in a kitchen. A girl with brown hair was helping him to cook rice and get some ingredients for the boy.

****_“You are preparing unagi don for your father?”_ ** **

****_“Yes. Granny once taught me how to do it and now I’m doing it for my father. It is his favourite food.”_ ** **

****_“Your father must be delighted.”_ ** **

****_“As long he is happy, I’m happy too. He’s been working hard and I want to do something in return.”_ ** **

He started to feel bad. While he was falling into despair, his son had been trying to make him happy. Trying to help him stand up on his own feet.

The teenage boy was opening a back door to throw some rubbish and when he followed him from behind, the boy was nowhere to be found.

Instead, he saw an older teen boy sitting on the ground with his hand holding a photo of his great-grandfather. The older teen had a sad look from his eyes. As if he almost gave up doing something he wanted to do.

****_“…he hides it from me because he doesn’t want me to worry about him. It’s obvious. He keeps on getting the same nightmare. From when I was young until now. I want to help him. I want to try to make him smile again. I don’t care if anyone thinks he’s a bad person just because he was once a gang member.”_ ** **

The older teen buried his face on his knees. He muttered, but he was determined.

****_“I want to protect him. Because…he’s my father.”_ ** **

Yoshinobu felt so much pain in his heart. If he did not waste a lot of time blaming himself, he would not have ignoring Ietsuna’s feelings and efforts.

The scene slowly faded once again and this time, it was his corrupted self standing in front of him. He was aware of his presence who had existed in his mind for a long time.

His other self’s presence was filled with anger and hatred. Just by touching him would be a great disaster. Yoshinobu wanted to reach out for him but the other seized his neck, attempting to choke him.

The grasp was not too tight. As if his other was hesitating to kill him. Yoshinobu was staring at him with concern before he spoke softly.

“Have you been suffering? Are you still angry?”

His other self was growling, refusing to answer his question.

“I know it’s hard but, you know that you can’t continue to let the hatred conquer your mind. No matter what you are doing, you can’t retrieve what you’ve lost.”

The growl was louder than before. Yoshinobu gently placed his hands on the other’s shoulders.

“I am so sorry for rejecting you. Because of my immature thoughts and actions, you became a monster that lives inside my mind. I promise that I will not let you live in a miserable life ever again.”

His corrupted self was slowly letting go of his hands. The older Sawada smiled and he hugged him.

“I may not be as strong as my father and my grandfather but I promise that I will use my powers to protect the weak and the ones who are important to me. Will you forgive me? Will you come back to my side?”

The silence broke with the sound of a crying boy.

Yoshinobu’s eyes were looking at his corrupted self, who finally became his past self. A fifteen-year-old self who had been crying out loud, hugging his older self tightly.

“You did well. You won’t feel the pain anymore.”

The other continued crying and within a few seconds, his other self had transformed into a bright orange flame, circling Yoshinobu.

After many years, he smiled for the first time. His eyes finally shone as brightly as his Sky flame.

He finally forgave himself.

* * *

“Give up already, you foolish kid.”

Ietsuna's knees fell on the ground but he continued to release his Sky flames to burn the monstrous tree. The tree gave a loud horrendous laugh and it was about to smash the boy with its large hand that made up with thousands of vines.

His eyes widened with shock. He could not move his legs because he was extremely exhausted. Not only that, his body was in great pain. Being able to see through Nori's illusions was a good achievement but to fight against him was another level.

“WRAAAGGHHH!!!!”

The tree howled with distress when its large hand were slashed into pieces. The bits of vines fell on the ground and there were some traces of Sky flames.

“What have you done to my tree?!” Nori bellowed angrily at Ietsuna.

“I…I didn’t do anything…”

“Liar!! Those flames belong to you!!”

“No. Those flames are mine, Noriaki.”

Yoshinobu was standing in front of Ietsuna with the same orange flame on his forehead and both of his eyes were the same colour as his flames. There were a pair of spiked brass knuckles worn around his hands and they were coated with fierce Sky flames.

Ietsuna could see the spikes clearly. It looked so much like a hawk's claws.

“…father, are you alright?”

“I’m alright. I’m sorry for keeping you waiting, Ietsuna.”

The blond boy tried to stand up but his legs would not move.

“You ought to get some rest. I’ll handle him from here.”

The monstrous tree roared with fury. With the help of Noriaki’s mist flames from his special ring, the vines multiplied and all of it was striking Yoshinobu at the same time.

The older Sawada lit up his spiked brass knuckles and with the help of his dying will flames, his agility greatly increased. He dodged and used his spiked brass knuckles to tear the vines, leaving some of the Sky flames to burn the other vines. He knew that it was pointless to destroy the monstrous tree and the only way to break the illusion powers was to defeat Noriaki.

The tree’s speed was no match against Yoshinobu’s speed and he managed to reach Noriaki. The other gritted his teeth and he had to fight him instead of controlling the monstrous tree.

He swung his spear as fast as he could and Yoshinobu frowned, feeling annoyed with the spear’s presence. He grabbed it and the spear instantly melted by his Sky flame. Nori threw his spear aside and he resorted to fighting with his bare hands.

“You are not telling me that you are relying on the ring’s power to make you stronger?”

“…shut up!! Don’t you dare to talk about it!!”

“I heard rumours about your special ring. If you want to use its power, you have to sell your own soul, right?”

“…how did you-?!”

“You are mentally strong but the truth is, you can’t forget how you’ve killed Amaya.”

“…shut up!!!”

Nori’s punch wanted to strike Yoshinobu’s face and he easily dodged it. He threw his spiked brass knuckles aside and he pulled Nori’s arm forward before he threw him over his shoulder in a circular motion. The impact caused Nori to pass out and the monstrous tree vanished without a trace.

Katsuya and Satoshi had been witnessing the intense fight between the Sawadas and Nori. Ietsuna wanted to walk to his father when the muscle pain caused him to scream in pain. Yoshinobu heard it and he ran to check on his son.

“Ietsuna, are you hurt??”

“…my…my body hurts…a lot…”

“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you.”

“…tell me what…?”

“While you are in Hyper Dying Will Mode, you have to pay a little price. Because your body was not fully trained, you have to experience this temporary pain.”

“…father! How could you not tell me-!”

The extreme pain caused Ietsuna to pass out as well and Yoshinobu had a nervous smile on his face. Katsuya let out a loud sigh to get his attention.

“You are way too mean, Shin. Is he going to be alright?”

“He will be fine. The most important thing is that he knows how to activate his powers.”

“That’s great to hear. What about Noriaki?”

“He won’t be waking up fast,” Yoshinobu sighed and he sat on the ground. “I’m glad everything is over.”

“…you are right. The conflict is finally over.”

* * *

Kazuhiro was peeling some oranges in the living room while listening to news from the radio. The weather was getting colder and he heard his brother’s grandchildren talking as they passed by the room where he was.

“We still can’t go out? I thought the police already caught all the yakuza members.”

“Father would not let us go out until it is safe. Don’t you remember we got attacked last time?”

“Yes, but…well…”

“Just hang on a little, alright? Once it is safe for everyone to walk in the streets, we’ll buy as many snacks as we could.”

The sound of footsteps faded and Kazuhiro was worried. He heard from Takeo that Ietsuna was absent to school and he was hoping that he was not caught or attacked by the yakuza members.

_“…the police had recently caught three men after they found five large boxes of unknown poisonous drugs in the car. The men refused to speak anything and the police assumed that they were on their way to deliver the poisonous drugs to another district. The authorities…”_

Kazuhiro soon heard someone knocking the door. Takeo’s mother, Rin slid the door open and she was carrying an object that was wrapped with a silk cloth.

“Rin, where have you been? Your father is worried about you.”

“I am sorry, uncle. I already apologized to my father. I am fully aware of the dangers outside our house but I must leave to get something important.”

“Something important?”

Rin nodded her head and she placed an unknown object on the table. She gently unwrapped the silk cloth and to Kazuhiro’s amazement, it was a dark brown flute that belonged to his father, Asari Ugetsu.

“Rin, is…is this…”

“Yes, uncle. This is grandfather’s precious flute.”

“I…I don’t understand. How did you get it?”

“For all these years, I have been searching for my grandfather’s flute. My husband also helped me as well and he finally told me that he found it. I understand that grandfather sold it to help his friend but I always knew that he treasured it. So, I sell my short blade, in exchange for the flute.”

“You sell your short blade? But, that is a special gift from your grandfather!”

“I know, uncle. Grandfather gave it to me as a gift because I was once a fighter. However, I no longer wielding it after my marriage with my husband. Rather than keeping it as a decoration, I decided to exchange it for the flute.”

Rin’s smile strongly resembled his father. Kazuhiro could not stop himself from smiling wider and he gently picked up the flute to have a closer look. Just by touching it, he could feel that his father was still around.

The flute that was filled with memories of Asari Ugetsu.

“Thank you so much, Rin. Your grandfather is proud to have a thoughtful granddaughter.”


	64. role

Hanako was cutting some apples into a shape of rabbits and placing them on the plate. Her younger sister, Hatsuka was reading some messages from the cards she received from her friends and classmates. The first thing she noticed after waking up was thousands of paper cranes hung beside her bed and later her parents quickly informed that their youngest daughter finally woke up.

They were thankful that she did not suffer any memory loss.

She placed the cards aside and she took a newspaper to read. Many things had happened while she was unconscious and the one that caught her attention was the news about the yakuza fight.

“Big sister, is uncle Katsuya alright?”

“Oh, you are reading about that news?”

“…yes. If the Hibari Clan and the Akui Clan fought each other, that means…”

“Granny was worried and she called the former head of the Hibari Clan to find out what was happening. He told her that the yakuza members from the Akui Clan were attacking and vandalising the town to celebrate the awakening of their beloved clan. Uncle Katsuya ordered his right-hand man to catch all of them while he and Ietsuna’s father were away to fight the head of the Akui Clan.”

“Eh?! Ietsuna’s father was involved??”

“Calm down, Hatsuka. It was a conflict among the three of them but thankfully, they managed to defeat him. Though I must say that things don’t go well in the Hibari Clan after the yakuza fight.”

“What do you mean?”

“Uncle Shiro decided to surrender himself to the police and he told the whole truth. Kenichi was the one who released that head of the Akui Clan because he wanted to get an effective fertility drug for his second wife to get pregnant. However, his second wife did not want to consume that drug as she was certain that it would kill her.”

“Then how on earth she got pregnant if she did not consume that drug?”

“Well…” Hanako had an awkward look on her face. “She had an affair with another man. She did it so that she could get pregnant, pretending that she was carrying Kenichi’s child.”

“Oh God,” Hatsuka gasped with shock.

“Your childhood friend told uncle Katsuya about it. He once saw her talking to an unknown man and he heard the man said that he had the right to see his child. Uncle Katsuya was enraged and he kicked out both Kenichi and his second wife from the house. Also, Kenichi’s confectionery shop was ordered to close after the police found some illegal drugs stored in his office.”

“…Uncle Shiro was taking a big risk to expose the truth. Why he would do that?”

“He could not forgive himself after what he had done. In other words, he was the one who attacked you.”

“He…he did?”

“For first, our parents and I could not forgive him but uncle Katsuya wanted us to listen to his explanation. After his grandmother passed away, he nearly wanted to do something stupid, and some uncle Katsuya’s followers managed to stop him. He knew he could not be forgiven, so he decided to surrender himself. He rather stayed in prison than facing you and our family.”

Hatsuka went silent and her eyes were fixed at the newspaper she was holding. She could only remember a little of when she met Shiro during the school carnival.

_****“Hatsuka, what’s that thing in your hand?”** ** _

****_“Oh, this one? It’s a bottle of konpeito.”_ ** **

****_“W...where did you get it?”_ ** **

****_“From someone. Do you want some of it?”_ ** **

****_“N-no, and I...I think you should not eat those candies.”_ ** **

****_“Why not? It’s just a konpeito, right?_ ** **

****_“Please, I beg you not to eat it. They are-“_ ** **

****_“Oh, I'm almost late. Let me eat some of it so that I won’t feel sleepy.”_ ** **

She was trying so hard to open the bottle cap and as soon as she managed to open it, she felt her head being hit with something blunt and passed out.

The door slid open and Satoshi was carrying a basket with something that was wrapped with a pink cloth. Hatsuka noticed some bandages on his arm and his shoulder and her expression had changed.

He nodded his head once to Hanako and she knew that he wished to talk to her younger sister privately.

“I'm going home, Hatsuka. I’ll be helping granny to cook so that she could bring your favourite food this late evening.”

“Huh? That's fine! I-“

“Let's say as a celebration for your recovery. Even our parents are planning to bring you for a vacation before you start your final year at senior high school. For now, get some rest.”

Hanako softly touched her sister’s hair and she left the room. Satoshi then came in and placed the basket on the table before he took a seat beside Hatsuka.

“Satoshi, what exactly happened to you?”

“Nothing happened to me.”

“Don’t lie,” Hatsuka frowned. “I can see those bandages on your body. Did you...got involved in the fight again?”

“...yes.”

“...I knew it. I really wished that you would-“

“Stop picking fights with anyone?”

She turned to look at him and she noticed that his eyes were no longer keeping any resentments. He held out his hand to grasp her hand gently.

“I just want to say that I'm sorry for how I've treated you, Hatsuka. You tried to make me happy but I was busy looking for my mother's killer. I completely overlooked things that you’ve done for me. The moment I made you cry, I knew that I screwed up. And the moment when I saw you lying on the bed, I realised that you are the most important people in my life.”

Hatsuka had been listening and she was surprised to see how much he had changed. In other words, he became a person that she used to know.

“I...I don’t know what to say. You are different from before.”

“Different?”

“I...I’ve always wanted to make you happy just like when we were young and now, you kind of...”

“You don’t like the way am I right now?”

“No! I...I feel like God has finally granted my wish to see you happy again. It’s been years. I’ve been waiting for so long...”

“Now you don’t have to wait any longer.”

He went to pick up the basket and he passed it to Hatsuka, much to her curiosity.

“What is this?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you open it?”

She was staring at the unknown object and she slowly unwrapped the pink cloth. She saw a brown teddy bear with a red ribbon tied around its neck and a small wooden music box.

“Satoshi, what are these?”

“Your birthday gift.”

“My birthday gift? Oh, wait! Today is...”

“Happy birthday, Hatsuka.”

She was surprised and tears rolled down on her cheeks because she was happy. It was her first birthday gift she ever received from Satoshi.

“I’m sorry for not giving you gifts on your previous birthdays. If this is not enough, I can-“

“No, it’s alright,” Hatsuka wiped her tears. “Just wishing me happy birthday is good enough. I’m so happy. This...this is the first gift I ever had from you.”

“Don’t you think it’s unfair? I have a lot from you but you only have one from me.”

“I told you it’s alright- Wait, how did you know I have lots of birthday presents for you?”

“Your little brother told me everything. So, I came over to your house and took all of it.”

She froze with shock and her face slowly turned pink.

She swore that she would go and look for Ietsuna right after she was discharged from the hospital.

* * *

There was no hope for Nori. He was in a room, waiting for his unexpected visitor. All his followers were arrested but they were given a lighter punishment compared to him.

Murder, possessing dangerous items, producing and distributing illegal drugs and many crimes he had done.

He was sentenced to life in prison. The security would be tightened up to prevent him or anyone to help him to escape from the prison.

If only he still had his precious ring. It was missing after his fight against Sawada Yoshinobu.

The door was opened and the police were bringing in his visitor. Ren remained emotionless as he took a seat in front of his boss, who was giving his malicious glare to him.

“How are you doing, boss?”

“...you dare to come and see me after what you have done to me?” Nori growled.

“What did I do to you, boss?”

“I assigned you to accompany Sonoda Mayuko and make sure that those drugs are distributed to the students and teachers of Asagao Middle School,” Nori muttered angrily. “Now all the drugs are confiscated by the police at the roadblock and that girl announced her retirement from the entertainment industry. Who could have done it other than you??”

“...This has to be done, boss.”

“Who was the one took you in when you were lost and hungry?? Who was the one healed you when you were on a verge of dying?! In return, you taught me how to use the power inside my special ring! I made you as my right-hand man because I trust you! And you dare to tell me that this has to be done?!”

Even with Nori's loud angry voice, Ren did not show any expression. All he did was to look at the watch worn around his wrist, much to Nori's disgust.

“I’m impressed that you have been keeping that stoic face for many years. Mark my words. Once I managed to escape from this prison, I will make sure that you will receive a heavy punishment from me. And you will be begging me to spare your life.”

“Sadly, that is not going to happen.”

“…what?”

“Your time ends here,” Ren spoke while looking at his watch. “With all the crimes you have committed, you will never have the chance to escape from prison no matter how hard you try-“

Nori grabbed Ren's shirt collar and he shot his furious look at him.

“I’m giving you a final warning, Ren. Do not forget that I am your boss. Say that again and I promise that you won’t be able to see sunlight.”

“I am aware of that, Noriaki.”

Ren simply placed his hand on Nori's grasp and he easily bent his hand backwards, causing Nori to suffer a fractured wrist. The other screamed with agony as he sat back, gripping his fractured wrist.

“I am loyal to one and only boss in my life. Not you, of course.”

Nori looked up and to his shock, some Mist flames appeared around Ren and within seconds, a tall dark-haired man with a black domino mask covering his eyes was standing in front of him.

“W…who the hell are you?? Where's Ren?!”

“What are you talking about? I am Ren.”

“Don’t lie! You’re not him!!”

“Ren is truly my name but my appearance before this is just a mask,” he replied.

“A…a mask? What the…”

“I am here in Japan to make sure that everything will go according to the plan. My boss's plan.”

“Your boss's plan? What are you up to??”

“You don’t need to know. I am here to say thank you for playing your role in this plan, Noriaki.”

“That means…your tragic backstory is a lie? Abandoned by your mother, last gift from your dying father? All of it is a lie??”

“Depends on you if you want to believe it. All I can say that your role is important for my boss's plan. Now that you are finally sentenced to life in prison, I see no reason to stay in this country.”

“….you…you evil snake…”

“You should get some rest. And, enjoy your stay in prison.”

Ren stood up, and he walked out from the room, ignoring the profanity screams from Nori before he was being taken away by the guards. He was stepping out from the prison building and after some few distances, he stopped walking, as he felt another familiar presence.

It came from a ramen stall at the street and there was a white-haired man with round glasses. The man was waiting for the stall owner to buy some ingredients and even without turning around to see Ren, he knew he was there.

“I assume that your job is done, young man,” he spoke. “Do you want to sit here and eat a bowl of ramen? It’s delicious.”

“No, thank you,” Ren replied. “What are you doing here?”

“Hm, I’m doing nothing at all. Just sitting here and enjoying my meal.”

“You once said that you do not want to coexist with humans. I think it’s rare for you to appear in this country.”

“Your boss must have told you about me. Let’s say that I have a job to do. A job that requires me to visit this wonderful country.”

“You are not saying that…”

“I am only waiting for a seedling to grow up as a strong, healthy tree. Once that happens, I will play my usual role.”

Ren did not say anything and the man only gave a small smile.

“You better return. Your boss must be worried about you.” 


	65. reconnect

“Ah, is it true that Mayu-chan retired from the entertainment industry?”

“Yes, mum. I thought it was fake news until some of my colleagues interviewed her.”

“But she’s still so young! Why would she make that such decision in sudden?”

“I guess she had enough. It’s not easy to be a child superstar.”

Kei was in the living hall while reading a book but her ears were listening to her mother and her older sister’s conversation in the kitchen. She heard about the news too and she seemed to understand Mayuko’s retirement.

Although being a superstar had been her dream career, she had an unhappy life. Kei once listened to an interview on the school radio and the students were shocked.

****_“It looks like you’ve done with your role as the main character in the new movie, The Wishing Candy. What will be your plan in the future, Miss Sonoda?”_ ** **

****_“…my future? Well, to be honest, I am not sure for myself. Being a superstar has been my dream ever since I was young. However, I realise that to achieve my dream, there are many sacrifices I have to make. My time, my personal life and my friendship. I want to get back what I’ve lost. So, I decided to retire from my acting career.”_ ** **

Aside from the news about the yakuza attack, Mayuko’s retirement made a huge story and people could not stop talking about it. As much as Kei wanted to see her, she would like to give her some time to be alone.

“Anyway, mum. Where’s dad?”

“He had taken his dinner earlier because he needed to grade the students’ papers. We might as well eat without him for today.”

Kei soon joined them for dinner and she saw an empty seat just opposite where she sat. She used to see her father reading a newspaper while waiting for dinner. She slowly realised that she had been cold towards her father ever since he rejected her dream to be a superstar with Mayuko.

****_“Your father cares about you, senior Ikehara. It is not too late to apologise.”_ ** **

She remembered Ietsuna’s words when she once told him that she had a strained relationship with her father.

****_“You speak as if it happened to you, Sawada.”_ ** **

****_“Not exactly. I speak because I do not want you to make the same mistake as my father did to my great-grandfather.”_ ** **

She wanted it to be resolved as she hated the idea of not saying goodbye to her father before she pursued her studies in France.

It was eight o'clock at night and her mother was surprised to see Kei preparing something in the kitchen. Kei explained that she wished to make something for her father to eat as he would be a little hungry for having dinner too early.

As expected, her father came out from the study room right after everyone went to sleep. He was about to take a cup of hot green tea when he saw his youngest daughter placed two bowls of red bean shiruko (sweet porridge with red bean) on the dining table.

“Um, have a seat, dad,” said Kei awkwardly. “I…made something for you to eat.”

He was looking at a bowl of shiruko and he was almost asking her why she made it late at night. Instead, he pulled out the chair and sat down, waiting for her to take soup spoons from the drawer.

“I only ate a little during dinner,” Kei explained as she sat down. “So I thought of making something to eat.”

“Did you make some for your mother and your sister?”

“Yes, they already ate some before they went to sleep.”

The conversation ended and they started to eat shiruko. It was the first time he ever tasted his daughter’s cooking and it was unbelievably delicious. Although it was a good thing that Kei finally learned how to cook, he felt bad for forcing her to do something that she never liked.

“Kei, are you still wishing to be an actress?”

She wanted to answer but nothing came out of her mouth. She was only looking at the shiruko until her father continued to speak again.

“If it is true, then I won’t stop you. I apologise for forcing you to abandon your wish and do something that you don’t like. I just do not want to see my own daughter taking the same path as her friend. When you get too famous one day, you might forget your family and friends.”

“…It’s fine, dad. I no longer want to be an actress.”

“Is that so?”

“…I’m just thankful that you showed me a better path for my future. I feel like cooking is much better than facing the audiences. I wouldn’t blame you. You are the reason that I can further my studies in France.”

“…did you learn to cook this shiruko on your own?”

“No, someone taught me how to cook it.”

“Someone? Who’s that?”

“Someone who told me that forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment.”

For someone stubborn like Kei, her father was highly surprised that the person who taught her how to cook shiruko was able to change her heart.

If he had the chance, he would like to thank them.

* * *

The deputy headmistress was surprised to see some police officers coming to the principal’s office and they came to arrest the principal for the involvement in drug trafficking and using the school funds for his children’s private school fees.

His act was enough to tarnish the school reputation. The parents were outraged and they were demanding the principal to resign from his position and return all the money to the school.

The students of Ajisai Senior High School were shocked to hear the news of their principal’s resignation. He gave his last speech to the students and reminding them to do well in their studies and choose a better path for their future. And days after his resignation, he was nowhere to be seen, even his family. No one ever knew what had happened to the principal.

Except for some teachers and some members of the student council.

The final term tests were over and Ietsuna could spend most of his time sitting on the school's rooftop, looking at the scenery of the Namimori district. He was glad that it was the yakuza conflict had been resolved.

Ietsuna could not forget the moment when he saw his father successfully activated his Sky Flame and he easily defeated Nori.

He fully understood why his father was given the nickname Black Hawk. If Ietsuna wanted to give a nickname for his father, it would be Fearless Hawk.

He was the strongest man Ietsuna ever witness. He wished that he could be as strong as his father. After suffering from intense muscle pain, he admitted that he had another long way to go if he wanted to learn how to use his flame.

“Oh, there you are, Sawada.”

Ietsuna glanced behind and he saw Takeo coming towards him. He simply sat beside the blond boy and he too, looking at the scenery.

“Sakaguchi and others were wondering where have you been. They must be worried ever since you were hospitalised that day after the yakuza attack.”

“I see. I’ll apologise to them after this,” Ietsuna replied. “I just want to be alone for a moment.”

“What are you thinking about?”

“Takeo, I need you to be honest with me. Have I always been a good person?”

“Huh?” Takeo blinked his eyes. “Why on earth would you be asking this question?”

“I don’t know,” Ietsuna's eyes were looking at his own hands. “When someone hurts people who are important to me, I feel so angry. So angry that I wanted to make them feel the pain as well. I always tell myself that I would fight to protect someone but the anger sometimes took over my mind. I hated my aunt when I found out that she wanted my mother to abort the baby. I nearly want to punch Dohachiro for one stupid reason. I almost want to hurt the culprit who hurt Hatsuka and I was about to punish the man who almost took my father's life. When I think about it, I…I'm not sure about myself.”

Ietsuna was truly afraid that he might use his powers for his bad decisions. It made him think that he was no different from someone who betrayed his great-grandfather.

“There is one thing I can say about you, Sawada.”

The blond boy turned to look at Takeo and he genuinely smiled at him.

“You are not a bad person.”

“…really?”

“Think again. You saved Hatanaka's life although he's been bullying you. You forgive your aunt because she saved your life. And more importantly, you helped me to get back on my own feet and I successfully created my sword form. It is normal to feel angry at someone who hurt others but I believe that you would not go that far as what a hatred wants you to do.”

“But…what if one day, I…I would hurt people because of my hatred?”

“Sawada, you are the most kind-hearted person I’ve ever met. Keep that in mind.”

Before Ietsuna could reply, they heard a loud bang from behind. They both turned around and they saw Hatsuka. She was frowning directly at the blond boy and Ietsuna was uneasy to look at her expression.

“Sawada Ietsuna. I finally found you.”

“Uh, is…is there anything wrong?” he smiled nervously as he stood up.

“Yes, there is something wrong,” Hatsuka replied and she approached him slowly. “Something that made me want to punch your face.”

“I…I don’t understand,” Ietsuna walked backwards. “Why do you want to punch me in sudden?”

“Because you told every single thing to Satoshi. Including his birthday presents that were kept in my room. How could you do that to me??”

“Wait, I can explain!” Ietsuna yelled desperately. “I didn’t mean to! Please don’t punch me-!”

Hatsuka grabbed his hand and instead of punching him, she pulled him into a tight hug. Ietsuna was completely confused and the next thing that happened was she buried her face on his chest, crying.

“H-Hatsuka, are you…”

“…thank you…for everything, Ietsuna…”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I’ve always wanted to see Satoshi smile again…I can’t believe I’ve finally seen his smile…”

“But I didn’t do anything-“

“Yes, you did. Satoshi has been ignoring his father for a long time and…I was so happy to see that they finally together as a family. I…I always believe that…you have the ability to bring everyone together…”

Ietsuna only listened and he was looking at Hatsuka who was smiling while crying. He remembered how he talked to Satoshi when they were trapped in an abandoned building. If Satoshi did reconcile with his father and Hatsuka, he was happy for him.

The ability to bring everyone together. When was the last time he ever done that?

The moment after he was born, his missing grandfather came back to his father's side. Or the moment when he rebuilt Kei and Mayuko's broken friendship.

He smiled warmly and he gently hugged Hatsuka back. If she was happy, he too was happy.

Right after Hatsuka left to see the student council members, Ietsuna turned to look at the scenery again. Takeo was still with him and the blond boy then stared at his own hands.

“You’ve helped many people, Sawada. Judging by their smiles, you know that they are happy. You know that they finally did something that made them happy.”

“…Takeo, thank you for being a good friend. I really appreciate it.”

“No problem. Shall we return to see our friends?”

* * *

_“Father, I’ve finally brought them home. Now you don’t have to worry about them.”_

As he was able to forgive himself and moving on, Yoshinobu wanted to do something important. He had been thinking for years to bring the cremation urns that contained the ashes of his mother and his grandmother to his new home in Namimori. The reasons he could not do it were because he had to work and taking care of his son at the same time. After his fight against Nori, Katsuya stressed that he should take a break from work as he knew that the fight had made Yoshinobu felt exhausted. Instead of resting, he went back to a shrine in Yamanashi Prefecture to meet the priest who helped him to recover two missing cremation urns after the earthquake happened years ago.

“Good day, Mr Sawada. I didn’t expect you to visit here today.”

The gravedigger greeted and Yoshinobu nodded his head once at him. The other soon noticed that there were empty spots beside Yoshimune’s tombstone and he was about to apologise to Yoshinobu for the possible loss of someone important to him.

“Oh, no. These spots are for my late mother and my late grandmother,” Yoshinobu quickly explained. “I just brought them here from my hometown.”

“Ah, I see. Please forgive me, Mr Sawada. I almost thought that you…if you know what I mean.”

“It’s alright, I understand. I’m waiting for the engraver to carve their names on their new tombstones. My late grandmother, Shimizu Hotaru (清水螢) and my late mother, Sawada Sayuri (沢田小百合).”

“Sawada Sayuri? Sorry for asking but why your late mother did not use her maiden name just like your late wife?”

“She did not have a maiden name. In other words, she was abandoned right after she was born and later being raised in an orphanage. Her judo master was the one who gave her the name Sayuri.”

Yoshinobu once remembered. His mother hated men so much and yet, she married his father. His grandfather only smiled with amusement before he told him the reason.

_**“Your father gave her something that she never had. That is why she marries your father.”** _

He was glad that he could reunite his mother with his father.

“By the way, what happened to your grandfather’s tombstone?”

“My grandmother will take his place to take care of the family.”

The gravedigger gave his puzzled look and Yoshinobu only gave a small smile. He then looked at his father’s tombstone, thinking on his own.

_“We are his family. But his true family, is somewhere out from this country. One day, he will see them again, in his homeland.”_


	66. resemblance

**** _Three years later..._ ** **

At five-thirty in the morning, the children and teens were waking up to get ready to go to school. Parents, especially mothers were screaming at them if they still did not wake up.

“Give me...another one more minute...”

“Oh, sure! Take as much as you want! Don’t come to me screaming when you are late for school!”

The usual morning conversation that people could hear from houses. Some could see mothers pulling the futon from their children without mercy. Or showing them a futon tataki (futon beater made with rattan) as a warning.

However, this girl around sixteen was waking up much earlier than any of her family members in her house. She had a cup of milk and two pieces of toasts with her and she was waiting outside her house. She had been up earlier for the past few weeks because she wanted to see someone.

“Natsuki!” her mother called out with her loud voice. “You are waiting outside the house again??”

“Yes, mum. What about it?”

“Oh, for fish sake! You are going to talk to that paperboy again??”

“Mum, he’s not a paperboy!” the girl named Natsuki snapped before her lips curved into a wide smile and her cheeks turned red. “He's my knight in shining armour~”

“Great, a knight in shining armour delivering newspaper with his bicycle,” her mother rolled her eyes. “If you are always up like this, how about helping me to prepare the breakfast?”

“No way! I’m not going to miss my opportunity to talk to my knight!”

“Well, fine. Keep on waiting. It’s not like you have the chance to be his future wife.”

Her mother went back inside and Natsuki resumed waiting. After minutes had passed, she saw someone riding a bicycle from far, tossing newspapers at each house.

Ietsuna, a blond young man with heterochromia eyes was delivering newspapers as usual in the morning. After graduating from senior high school last year, he had been working as a paperboy from the newspaper printing press. It was only his temporary job as he was still finding a permanent job with a stable income.

Natsuki was waving at him and he waved back, almost stopping at her house to give a newspaper to her.

“Good morning,” Ietsuna smiled. “You are early today.”

“Ah, that’s because...I...I want to be the first to give this paper to my father!” Natsuki answered nervously.

“Is that so?” he laughed lightly. “Well, you should be ready for school.”

“W-wait, I would like to talk to you again! Do you think we can meet again after school-“

“Ietsuna!!”

The blond young man turned around and he saw another young man with red hair, cycling his bicycle at a high speed with his panicked face.

“Shoma?? What on earth-“

“A dog!” Kozato Shoma yelled. “A large dog is chasing me from behind!!”

Ietsuna's eyes were fixed at the ferocious large dog that was chasing Shoma from behind.

“I'm sorry, I have to go now.”

He apologised to Natsuki and he started to cycle, leading Shoma to another place where they could escape from the dog.

“Follow me! We're going to a safer place!!”

Shoma nodded and he cycled even faster to catch up with Ietsuna. The large dog did not show any signs of giving up chasing two of them and Ietsuna did admire its tenacity. Both of them continued to cycle fast until they were almost reaching the dog shelter area. All the dogs in the shelter were barking happily to see Ietsuna and Shoma’s face went pale after looking at the dogs.

“I-Ietsuna, are you sure you want to go in there...??”

“Don’t worry, all of them are my friends.”

“But-!”

“They won’t bite you, I promise. Now hurry before that large dog catches up with us.”

Ietsuna opened the gate and brought Shoma to the dog shelter. All the dogs were crowding around him and some started to go near Shoma (“Eek!!”), where he stood against a few sacks of sands, trying to avoid the friendly dogs. The blond-haired chuckled and when he was about to help Shoma, the ferocious dog arrived and growling madly at him. Other larger dogs came over to the gate and barked fiercely, causing the ferocious dog to lower its ears and quickly ran away from the dog shelter.

“Thank you so much for saving our lives,” Ietsuna smiled and stroked the larger dogs’ heads. “I’ll give you some treats later, alright? I need to see my friend.”

He stood up and walked towards the almost petrified Shoma. Some dogs around him were nervous, thinking if they did anything bad to the red-haired young man.

“You don’t need to be scared, Shoma. They wanted to say hello to you,” Ietsuna explained.

“Y-yes, I know...but I’m still scared of dogs...”

“Why did that dog chase you in sudden?”

“I didn’t do anything to make that dog angry...” Shoma sighed. “The owner never leashed his dog and freely let it do whatever it wanted. The neighbours complained that they could not walk past his house because his dog often approaches and nearly bite them. I’ve been chased by this dog ever since I started to work as a paperboy until now.”

“I see,” Ietsuna frowned. “That’s a selfish act of an owner. He’s endangering people for not keeping his dog in the house.”

“Exactly! Sheesh, his dog looks like it could snap my neck into two!”

“We are safe for now. Do you want to give some food to our friends here?”

“Me?? I...”

“They are not going to bite you, Shoma.”

Ietsuna gave a pack of food to Shoma and some dogs slowly approaching him and placing their paws against his leg. The red-haired gulped nervously and once he saw their innocent eyes, he felt a little calmer and he knelt to give some food to them. The dogs wagged their tails happily and they licked his hands before eating the food.

“See? They like you already.”

“Hey, Ietsuna. Did you come here often?”

“Yes, every day. I would come here after having dinner to give them some food. I don’t have friends when I was young, so these dogs had been my friend for a long time.”

“No wonder they love you so much.”

“Do you think so?”

“I watched how the larger dogs protected you. That’s what I think.”

“This shelter was a small place. Some people would place a box of puppies and left them here. My father told me that there was a man about his age who pitied the puppies and he decided to build a shelter for them. Ever since he built the dog shelter, more people coming over to put the puppies and dogs at the shelter. The man was quite frustrated, thinking of why would people choose to have pets in the first place when they would abandon them in the future. Having pets is a lifetime commitment, the same as having children.”

Ietsuna placed the foods on the ground for the larger dogs to eat. He gently stroked their head as he spoke.

“Right after my friends found out that I’ve been here to feed the dogs, they too came over to feed them. Hatsuka, Hanako, Sakaguchi, Aratani, Kataoka and Takeo. We even collected some money for that man to upgrade the dog shelter. He was grateful and he was aiming to rescue unfortunate animals, nurse them back to health before they are ready to be adopted.”

Shoma listened and he could see Ietsuna’s concerned look when he stared at the dogs. He curiously thought of something that he had heard before.

His great-grandfather once told him about his best friend. A friend, who was more like a family to him.

****_“I have a friend who would play with cats and dogs for four hours straight. Just by looking at his face, you can tell that he loves animals so much.”_ ** **

He hardly imagined how his great-grandfather's best friend looked like but Ietsuna came out as the perfect image. Could he be...

“Gosh, we are late already!” Ietsuna exclaimed and quickly placed the remaining food for all the dogs. “We need to go back to the printing press before the supervisor yells at us!”

“You’re right!” Shoma stood up quickly. “Hopefully that fierce dog is not around to look for us!”

* * *

“Why the two of you are late??”

The supervisor in his late fifties was glaring at both Ietsuna and Shoma. Some younger paperboys were watching nervously while the older staffs were only rolling their eyes, knowing that the supervisor was often in a mood to yell at people.

“I’m sorry,” Shoma spoke out. “We have a problem while delivering the newspapers-”

“I received a complaint from Mr Kamada, telling me that he did not receive his newspaper on time. Aren’t you the one supposed to deliver to him, Kozato?”

“I did want to deliver the newspaper to him but his dog suddenly came and chased me!” Shoma quickly explained. “Ietsuna can be my witness because he helped me to escape from Mr Kamada’s dog-”

“This is your problem! Why do you need to drag Sawada along with your excuse??”

“I’m not dragging him! He-”

“I saved him from being chased by Mr Kamada’s dog,” Ietsuna interrupted. “Shoma is not lying.”

“Sawada, you don’t need to help him. He’s only making an excuse-”

“I help Shoma because that’s the truth,” Ietsuna said firmly. “And if Mr Kamada complained about not getting the newspaper on time, how about telling him to leash his dog inside his house? His dog not only endangering Shoma’s life but other people’s life as well.”

“How...how dare you speak to me like that, Sawada?! Do you know who I am?? You should listen to my orders!”

“Orders?” Ietsuna cocked his head. “But I thought I helped you to solve the problem. Identifying and resolving the workplace problem, plus making sure that the workers are safe. Isn’t that your job as a supervisor?”

The supervisor was entirely speechless and the workers were astonished. No one had ever spoken against the heartless supervisor.

“Excuse us. We have work to do.”

Ietsuna bowed and then left the office with Shoma. Some younger and older paperboys suddenly appeared and they had an amazing look on their faces.

“Sawada, you’re such a brave man! You are the only one who speaks against that mean supervisor!”

“All of us can’t stand his bossy attitude! I mean, he’s not even the boss!”

“And you even talked about Mr Kamada’s dog!”

“I...” Ietsuna said awkwardly. “I just said what I think is right...”

“Right?? You care about people’s life unlike that man, Sawada! We would be happy if you are our supervisor!”

A sudden thought came across his mind. Their admire look reminded him of how the people in Italy saw his great-grandfather as if he was a saint.

Vongola Primo helped so many people. That was why he deserved to be respected.

“Uh, Ietsuna? Are you alright?”

Shoma was looking at him with worry and Ietsuna shook his head, giving him a small smile.

“It’s nothing. Let’s finish our work so that we can go home early.”

* * *

“Wow, so this is Japan!”

A tall man with short, wavy dark hair was leaving Haneda Airport with another younger man with fair-coloured hair. Both of them were wearing a black suit and they were carrying small travel bags with them. While the younger man was looking at the map and wondering where they could catch a bus, the tall man’s eyes were fixed at some young women who were smiling shyly at him. He simply gave a charming smile to them and they could not stop giggling, wondering if they would like to talk to him.

“Uncle Adamo, stop flirting with other women already!” the younger man said with his annoyed tone.

“Like mother, like son,” the tall man named Adamo sighed. “Why don’t you relax a little and enjoy this wonderful holiday?”

“We are not here for a holiday, we have a serious business to do.”

“Hm, why’s that face of yours, Timoteo? You can’t wait to see your old friend?”

“Oh, shut up!” Timoteo slapped his arm. “It’s been many years and I’m not even sure how he looks like now.”

“I’m sure that he won’t change that much. Once we meet them, you will recognise them fast enough.”

“You think so?”

“ _Forse_ (Maybe)?” Adamo grinned at him.

“Why you...” Timoteo frowned. “No wonder mum always want to shoot you with her crossbow!”

“I didn’t do anything to make her so mad.”

“Well, you did. She asked for a cup of coffee and you gave her a glass of apple sangria. She asked you a question and you replied to her in your Venetian language. And you accidentally hit her head with a stone when she was about to shoot an enemy. I’m not surprised if I see you again without your head.”

“I admit that I might overdo but I’m trying so hard to make her feel relax,” Adamo shrugged his shoulders. “She’s been working way too hard ever since she took over the family during the difficult years for the members of the organised crime. You know what I mean, right?”

Timoteo went silent and he deeply thought about his mother. How could he not forget about the second world war that made things difficult for her? He was completely out of knowledge about the Vongola and mafia until he was eleven.

“Let’s not waste more time. Or else by the time we return, your mother will shoot both of us.”

“She will shoot you but yes, let’s head off to...Namimori district.”


End file.
